Bombardier defends US manufacturing amid Trump’s aviation sales threat

What the report says

Bombardier is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s threat to block sales of its aircraft in the United States unless it begins building planes there. In a statement given to Al Jazeera, the Canadian aerospace company said it already has a significant US manufacturing and employment footprint, including thousands of workers across the country.

The company said its aircraft include American-made components and cited operations tied to Texas and California, along with suppliers in 47 states. Bombardier also said it employs about 3,500 people in the US, plans to open a new service centre in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and already operates service centres in several other states. It said it spends $2.5bn annually with suppliers.

Trump made the threat on Truth Social on Monday, accusing Bombardier of relying heavily on American customers and markets. The remarks came as trade tensions between the US and Canada intensified, with Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on $20bn of US goods taking effect early Tuesday after earlier US tariffs on Canadian imports. Bombardier shares fell sharply in midday trading, while Boeing and Airbus rose slightly.

The dispute is not new: Al Jazeera noted previous clashes between Trump and Bombardier, including earlier criticism over certification and an older trade case involving Boeing. The latest exchange underscores how aerospace trade, manufacturing, and cross-border supply chains remain entangled in the broader US-Canada economic conflict.