FLYING Magazine
Bombardier on Monday responded to President Donald Trump’s threat to bar sales of the manufacturer’s private jets in the U.S., adding to long-standing tensions between the company and its largest market.
Trump on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday vowed to shut out Bombardier from the U.S. market, writing that “if they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’” Bombardier responded by pointing out that it already has a large American manufacturing presence, with employees working at sites in nine U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
For example, it said wings and flight control components for the ultra-long-range Global 8000 are produced in Texas and California, respectively. This year, Bombardier plans to inaugurate a new facility at Fort Wayne International Airport (KFWA) in Indiana that will become its service center for the Midwestern U.S. The company is in the middle of what a spokesperson described to FLYING as a large-scale American expansion.
Bombardier in its statement Monday said its jets “create tens of thousands of U.S. jobs” and are “built with American-made components such as engines, avionics, and many more key systems provided by great American companies.” It added that its supply chain comprises approximately 2,800 American companies across 47 states.
“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees,” the manufacturer wrote. “Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country.”
Bombardier stopped producing commercial aircraft years ago, but its private jets remain highly popular in the U.S. Some American carriers still operate commercial models the company stopped building.
In addition, the U.S. military uses Bombardier business jets such as the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), a modified Global Express. Since 2023, the manufacturer has been part of the Defense Department’s SkillBridge program that helps former military personnel transition into civilian careers.
According to Cirium data cited by The New York Times, the American market accounts for about half of Bombardier’s sales, and about 2,600 of its aircraft operate in the U.S. It is unclear how Trump would prevent the jets from ending up in the hands of American companies and individuals, as the FAA has already certified them.
Already, Christine Fréchette, premier of Quebec, and even some Republican lawmakers have come to Bombardier’s defense. The Canadian company has been a target of Trump’s since his previous administration and in the past has used stronger language to respond to the president’s threats.
Trump vs. Bombardier
Trump threatened to bar U.S. sales of Bombardier jets only hours after Canada implemented tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. imports, a response to the president imposing 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods last month.
“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!” Trump wrote. “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’s post also claimed Canada “blocked” Bombardier American competitor Gulfstream from doing business there—a reference to delays in the Canadian certification of Gulfstream jets earlier this year. In response, the president in January vowed to decertify Bombardier aircraft in the U.S. and threatened to impose tariffs. Ultimately, neither threat materialized, and Canada certified several Gulfstream models soon after.
“Gulfstream aircraft is and can be freely sold and operated in Canada,” Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Bombardier’s response to Trump’s remarks earlier this year was more strongly worded than its statement this week. Unlike the more recent statement, the company in January explicitly called out Trump and his retaliation, expressing a desire to end the dispute. It said that it contacted the Canadian government regarding the aircraft decertification and tariffs.
The company’s statement Monday does not mention Trump or his social media post.
However, others have jumped to Bombardier’s defense. Fréchette said on X on Monday that she contacted Bombardier CEO Éric Martel to “offer him our full support.”
“Quebec will not allow anyone to dictate where our companies must produce in order to access a market,” Fréchette wrote. “We will defend our companies, our workers, and our expertise with resolve.”
At least two officials from Trump’s own party have offered more backing.
Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said the manufacturer’s Wichita, Kansas, presence supports more than 1,000 employees. Moran wrote on X that he “reached out” to the Trump administration to “make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas.”
“I will continue working to see that Bombardier’s manufacturing operations not only remain in Kansas but continue to grow and create American jobs,” he wrote.
Another Republican, Representative Ron Estes (R-Kan.), wrote on X that the state will “work with the Trump Administration to ensure Kansas has a seat at the table for these important negotiations.”
Estes added that he has long opposed tariffs on the aviation industry.
“Bombardier supports an extensive American supply chain, boasts maintenance and repair capabilities across the U.S., and is trusted by our military for critical national security missions,” he wrote. “I will always advocate for policies that keep these manufacturing jobs in Kansas, expand opportunities for our workforce, and demonstrate why our state is the premier location to invest and grow in aerospace.”
The first Trump administration levied a nearly 300 percent tariff on new Bombardier passenger jets in response to a complaint from Boeing. Not long after, Bombardier sold its commercial C-Series line to Airbus, which it now builds in Alabama as the A220. It also ended its Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series program, ceasing production in 2020 after selling it to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
A U.S. trade panel struck down the nearly 300 percent tariff in 2018.