Trump threatens to stop sale of Canadian Bombardier jets in US
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bar Canadian planemaker Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States unless it shifts manufacturing there, further inflaming trade tensions with Canada. In a Truth Social post, he wrote "NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!" and accused the company of treating America like a "piggybank". The threat landed hours before Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20bn (£14.7bn) of US goods, and it remained unclear how, or whether, Trump could actually enforce such a ban given Bombardier's extensive existing American presence.
Montreal-based Bombardier, which contributed C$7.4bn to Canada's economy in 2024, already runs a Kansas factory employing 3,500 US workers alongside sites in eight other states, and around half its 5,100-aircraft fleet is US-operated; its jets also comply with the USMCA trade deal Trump signed in his first term. Bombardier did not address the threat directly, saying only that it valued its "great partnership" with US companies and employees. Quebec premier Christine Fréchette called the firm "a source of pride" and offered government support, saying she would "not respond to provocation with provocation" and that Quebec would not let anyone dictate where its companies must produce. The row follows the collapse of US-Canada trade talks last month and the imposition of 50% US tariffs on a range of Canadian goods.
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In short
- Trump threatens to block Bombardier jet sales in the US
- Canada retaliated with tariffs on $20bn of US goods
- Quebec premier vows not to yield to "provocation"
How this story developed
- 1 month ago US President Donald Trump has threatened to bar Canadian planemaker Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States unless it shifts manufacturing there, further inflaming trade tensions with Canada.
- 1 month ago US President Donald Trump has threatened to block Canadian planemaker Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States unless it relocates its manufacturing there, escalating trade tensions between the two countries.
- 1 month ago US President Donald Trump has threatened to bar Canadian planemaker Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States unless it shifts manufacturing there, further inflaming trade tensions with Canada.
Where outlets differ
Centre outlets 1
Only here: stop, sale, jets
Right-leaning outlets 1
Only here: tariffs, take, effect
Every side used: trump, threatens, canadian, bombardier
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The case for
Supporters of the president's stance argue that the United States is entitled to use its market access as leverage to secure more domestic manufacturing and jobs, particularly when trade negotiations with a partner have broken down and that partner has itself imposed retaliatory tariffs. From this view, a firm public threat is a legitimate, if blunt, negotiating tool to press a foreign company that profits substantially from American buyers to invest more directly in American production, rather than simply exporting finished aircraft into the US market.
The case against
Critics, including Canadian officials and plausibly Bombardier itself, argue that such a threat is unfair and destabilising given the company already employs thousands of American workers, operates plants across nine US states, and produces jets compliant with the USMCA deal negotiated under the same administration. They would contend that unilaterally threatening to override a signed trade agreement undermines the predictability businesses need to invest, punishes a company for cross-border commerce that benefits both economies, and disregards Canadian provinces' right to determine where their own firms are based.
Explained simply
Trump has warned he could stop Bombardier, a Canadian aircraft maker, from selling planes in the United States unless it moves its production there. Bombardier is based in Montreal but already has significant operations in the US, including a Kansas factory employing thousands of workers, and its jets meet the terms of a North American trade agreement Trump himself signed during his first term.
The threat comes amid a wider trade dispute between the US and Canada. Talks between the two countries broke down last month, after which the US imposed steep tariffs on various Canadian goods, and Canada has been preparing its own tariffs on US products in response.
Bombardier matters to Canada well beyond its own workforce: it is a major contributor to the national economy and a key employer in Quebec, where local officials have described it as central to the province's economic identity. Any move to restrict its access to the US market, its largest customer base, would have significant implications for the company and for the broader trade relationship between the two countries.
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