President Donald Trump has threatened to block Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier from selling its planes in the United States unless the company begins manufacturing in America, escalating an already tense trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa.
Trump announced the move Monday, September 7, saying Bombardier should no longer be allowed to sell its aircraft in the U.S. market under the current arrangement.
He argued that the Canadian company benefits heavily from American customers while Canada restricts access for some U.S. businesses.
Trump’s message was clear: if Bombardier wants continued access to the massive American aviation market, he wants more of its manufacturing done inside the United States.
Trump Pushes “Build in America” Message
Trump said Bombardier receives more than half of its revenue from the United States and accused Canada of unfair treatment toward American companies.
He specifically pointed to Gulfstream Aerospace, a U.S.-based business jet manufacturer, as an example of what he described as unfair Canadian restrictions.
Trump called on Bombardier to manufacture in the United States while again promoting his broader “America First” economic agenda.
Bombardier did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
U.S.–Canada Aircraft Dispute Is Growing
The latest threat is part of a wider trade confrontation between the United States and Canada.
Earlier this year, Trump threatened to impose a massive 50% tariff on Canadian-made aircraft and said the United States would move against certification of Bombardier Global Express business jets.
Those threats were connected to a dispute over Canadian certification of aircraft manufactured by Gulfstream.
Neither the threatened tariffs nor the Bombardier decertification ultimately took effect.
Canada later certified several Gulfstream aircraft models in February.
Now, however, Trump is again putting Bombardier at the center of the U.S.–Canada trade dispute.
What Could It Mean for Bombardier?
The United States is an extremely important market for Bombardier, particularly for its business jets.
Losing access to American buyers could therefore have significant consequences for the Canadian manufacturer.
At the same time, forcing a major aerospace company to shift additional manufacturing into the United States could potentially create American investment and jobs — one of the central goals of Trump’s manufacturing policy.
However, it remains unclear how or when the administration would implement Trump’s latest threat.
No detailed regulatory order establishing a new Bombardier sales ban was announced alongside Trump’s comments.
Another Flashpoint Between U.S. and Canada
Trump’s announcement adds another major issue to an increasingly difficult economic relationship between the neighboring countries.
Aircraft manufacturing involves complex supply chains that stretch across both the United States and Canada, meaning additional trade restrictions could have consequences for companies and workers on both sides of the border.
For now, the key question is whether Trump’s statement develops into a formal U.S. policy — and whether Bombardier responds by expanding manufacturing operations in the United States.
The dispute could become another major test of Trump’s “America First” trade strategy as Washington pushes foreign companies to manufacture more products on American soil.