U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose steep tariffs on Canadian-made aircraft, escalating a dispute over aviation certification that he claims has unfairly blocked U.S. jet sales in Canada.
Trump made the threat in a social media post Thursday, accusing Canada of “wrongfully” refusing to certify several models of U.S.-made Gulfstream jets and calling the process a barrier to U.S. aircraft sales north of the border.
Trump said his administration would respond by decertifying Canadian-made aircraft in the U.S., including jets produced by Bombardier, unless Canada moves to approve the Gulfstream models.
He also warned that if the issue is not “immediately corrected,” the U.S. will impose a 50 per cent tariff on any aircraft sold from Canada into the U.S. market, a move that could have major implications for the aerospace sector on both sides of the border.
Bombardier released a statement late Thursday night, acknowledging that they’ve seen Trump’s post and are in contact with the federal government.
“Our aircraft, facilities and technicians are fully certified to FAA standards and renowned around the world,” the company said, mentioning that they are investing in expanding their U.S. operations.
“We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public,” Bombardier added.
Bombardier and Gulfstream are longtime rivals in the global business jet market, competing directly in the large-cabin, long-range category favoured by corporate and government clients – the same models cited in Trump’s social media post.
Among them are the Gulfstream G500 and G600, which entered service earlier and are widely used by corporate and government operators, as well as the newer G700 and G800, the company’s flagship long-range jets.
Bombardier, headquartered in Montreal, manufactures the Global series of business jets and is one of Canada’s largest aerospace employers.
The Gulfstream aircraft compete directly with Bombardier’s jets, including the Global 6500, Global 7500 and Global 8000, which dominate the same long-range category and are already certified for operation in both Canada and the U.S.
Certification determines whether aircraft can be sold, registered and flown in a country. Any delay or refusal can put manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage.
Trump has no authority to decertify aircraft: expert
CTV News aviation expert Phyl Durdey pushed back on U.S. threats to target Canada’s aviation sector, saying Trump has no authority to “arbitrarily” decertify Canadian aircraft.
In an interview with CTV News Channel on Thursday, Durdey said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies or decertifies all aircraft in the U.S.
He also noted that the U.S. has “lots of operating aircraft that are supplied from Canada,” with thousands of Canadian-built jets flying south of the border, too.
The U.S. military itself relies on Bombardier aircraft, using a fleet of modified Global Express jets known as the BACN aircraft or Air Force E-11A, one of which is currently being deployed to the Middle East.
Durdey warned any move against Bombardier would hurt U.S. economic interests as much as it would Canada’s.
