President Trump has issued an executive order that imposes a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products imported into the U.S., aiming to bolster domestic steel production and ensure “national security.” There are no exceptions or exemptions stated in the order.
The administration has argued that these changes will protect American jobs, reduce reliance on foreign steel, and strengthen the country’s industrial base. The move is part of a broader effort to counter what the White House describes as unfair trade practices and global overproduction that threaten U.S. manufacturers.
The Trump Administration’s push and pull with tariffs has prompted caution among voices in the aviation industry, with many industry players taking a “wait and see” approach to what’s ahead.
When tariffs were initially proposed for Canadian and Mexican imports (and then later pulled back for a month), Bombardier said it was surveying possible outcomes.
“We have worked on multiple scenarios that will help us face this situation, and we will take the coming days to complete our analysis,” the company said in a statement.
The three countries eventually agreed to hold off on moving forward on imposing tariffs on each other while discussions continued on border security and trade.
“We welcome the administration’s decision to pause the tariffs on Canada and Mexico so that their implications can be fully understood,” NBAA said at the time. “Equally important, we look forward to working with the administration on policies that foster the growth of industries, including business aviation, that are key to preserving our nation’s strength in the global arena.”
Notably, last November, when AIN posed the idea of future tariffs to industry leaders at the 2024 Corporate Jet Investor Miami conference, many were skeptical that they would come to fruition.
“I think if we get into a tariff war, it’s a tit-for-tat situation,” said Rollie Vincent of JetNet IQ at the time. “If prices go up, Main Street won’t be happy about that.”
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association cautioned that tariffs could disrupt the industry’s economic ecosystem. “Tariffs would affect the intricate and very complex global supply chain that can take years to establish, given that it relies on suppliers with unique capabilities that are highly regulated and therefore cannot be easily replaced,” it said in a statement.