US President Donald Trump has threatened to block Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier from selling its planes in the United States unless the company begins manufacturing them on American soil.
In a social media post on Monday, September 7, Trump declared: “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!”
He added that Bombardier must manufacture its aircraft in the US if it wants continued access to the American market.
“If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank’,” Trump said.
The comments come amid renewed trade tensions between the United States and Canada, traditionally close economic partners.
US-Canada Trade Tensions Escalate
Trump has imposed a series of tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa. Canada’s latest tariffs, covering nearly US$20 billion worth of about 700 US products, are expected to take effect early Tuesday, September 8.
The escalating trade dispute follows a deterioration in negotiations between the two countries in recent weeks.
Trump has previously targeted Bombardier. The company’s shares fell sharply in January after the US president threatened to decertify its large-cabin business jets and impose a 50% import tariff on new aircraft unless Canada certified the latest aircraft produced by US rival Gulfstream.
On Monday, Trump again criticised Canada over what he described as unfair treatment of American businesses.
“Over 50% of their revenue comes from the United States — They live off American Buyers, American Companies, American Airports, and American Service,” he said.
Trump also accused Canada of blocking American banks and companies from operating in the country and specifically cited restrictions involving Gulfstream Aerospace.
“They even blocked Gulfstream Aerospace from doing business in Canada — Completely unjust and unfair! That Era is OVER!” he said.
Bombardier Customers Could Be Affected
Any restrictions on Bombardier aircraft could have significant implications for major private-jet operators in the US, including NetJets, one of the Canadian manufacturer’s largest customers.
In December 2023, the Columbus, Ohio-based company signed an agreement with Bombardier to purchase 12 Challenger 3500 jets outright, with an option to acquire as many as 232 additional aircraft.
The latest threat therefore puts another layer of uncertainty around Bombardier’s access to its most important market as trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa intensify.
