Bombardier defends US manufacturing amid Trump’s aviation sales threat
Bombardier pushed back against former US President Donald Trump’s threat to block sales of its aircraft unless the company moved production to the United States, saying it already uses American-made components and employs thousands of workers across the country. The Canadian manufacturer highlighted US-made wings and flight control parts, long supplier relationships in 47 states, and plans for further service-centre expansion.
Why It Matters
The dispute underscores growing US-Canada trade tensions and raises questions about how production location demands could affect airline procurement, supply chains, and jobs in both countries. The issue has immediate financial implications for Bombardier and broader political resonance given past trade disputes between the firms and US officials.
Key Facts
- US employees: 3,500
- US supplier network: 47 states
- Annual spending on suppliers: $2.5 billion
- US-built components cited: Wings made in Texas; flight control components made in California; engines and avionics from US firms
- Planned service centre: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Bombardier has publicly rejected a call from Donald Trump to block sales of its aircraft in the United States unless the company shifted more manufacturing onshore. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the Quebec-based aerospace firm said it already builds significant components in the US, employs thousands of American workers, and relies on a broad domestic supplier base. The company pointed to wings produced in Texas and flight control parts made in California, and said engines, avionics and other key systems are supplied by US firms. Bombardier also said it works with suppliers in 47 states, spends about $2.5 billion annually with those vendors, and operates service centres across Arizona, Texas, Kansas, Florida and Connecticut while planning a new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The comments followed a post on Trump’s Truth Social account in which he criticised Bombardier’s US business and warned against continued sales in the American market unless assembly moved stateside. The remarks drew pushback from local and labour figures: Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran defended the company’s role in sustaining skilled jobs in his state, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said it opposes any effort to block Bombardier sales. The confrontation comes amid broader trade friction between Canada and the US. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of US goods recently took effect after the White House announced 50 percent levies on Canadian products, and the episode also revived memories of earlier disputes — including a Commerce Department proposal in the past to impose nearly 300 percent duties on Bombardier aircraft that were never implemented after a US trade commission found no harm to domestic producers. Market reactions were swift: Bombardier shares fell more than 6.5 percent in midday trading while competitors Boeing and Airbus saw modest gains. The White House did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
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