Amid Trade War, Trump Takes Aim at Bombardier Once More

President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada has landed on Bombardier once again, as he called for a ban on the sale of Bombardier products or for the Montreal-headquartered company to build its aircraft in the U.S. Bombardier responded with a statement reminding the public that it accounts for “tens of thousands” of jobs in the U.S.

In a Truth Social post yesterday—released as the U.S. and Canada ratchet up tariffs, as much as 50%, against one another—Trump said: “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!”

Trump maintained that more than 50% of Bombardier’s revenue comes from the U.S. “They live off American Buyers, American Companies, American Airports, and American Service—All while Canada blocks our GREAT American Banks, and Companies, throughout the U.S.A.”

Trump further complained that Canada blocked Gulfstream Aerospace from doing business in Canada. “Completely unjust and unfair. That Era is OVER! If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’”

This is the second time this year that Trump has called out Bombardier, citing Canadian inaction on Gulfstream jet certification. In January, Trump threatened to pull the type certificates for all Global and other Bombardier aircraft models unless Canada certified Gulfstream aircraft. That raised questions about whether that could be legally done, and a White House spokesman later maintained that it didn’t affect aircraft currently in service, further confusing the issue. Within weeks, Canada had issued type certifications of later-model Gulfstreams: the G500, G600, G700, and G800.

As for the more recent statement, it is unclear whether this was an open call or whether there is some other action that the U.S. president had planned to take. However, investor site Seeking Alpha had reported that Bombardier’s American depositary receipts dropped 1.3% in premarket trading on Tuesday following Trump’s statement.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) has stepped in on Bombardier’s behalf. “This afternoon, I reached out to the Trump Administration to make certain the president is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain,” the lawmaker said in a statement also on Monday. “The presence of Bombardier in Wichita supports a local workforce of more than a thousand employees, who contribute their talent and expertise to our nation’s defense and aerospace capabilities.”

Moran said he would work to ensure that Bombardier’s operations not only remain in Kansas but continue to grow.

As for Bombardier, its statement, released on Monday, noted that aerospace routinely is a top export sector in the U.S. with a trade surplus. Pointing to its own growing footprint in the U.S., Bombardier noted that it has a direct employment presence in Washington, D.C., and more than 20 states, including sites in Kansas, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, and New Jersey. Further, it produces wings and flight controls for its aircraft in the U.S.

Bombardier also explained that its supply chain comprises about 2,800 American companies in 47 states and that it spends more than $2.5 billion with those suppliers each year, including on key components such as engines and avionics. “This deeply integrated network and incredible growth stem from the company’s heritage in the business jet industry, dating back to the innovations of Learjet in Wichita…and the first business jets to enter service,” Bombardier added. “Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers, and the communities in which we operate across the country.”