A U.S. ban on Bombardier sales could ‘massively’ disrupt American aerospace
President Donald Trump threatened to bar Bombardier business jet sales in the United States unless the plane maker moves its operations stateside.
A threatened U.S. Ban on Bombardier Inc.'s business jet sales would damage the American aerospace industry as well as Canada's, analysts say.
As part of a spate of social media posts deriding Canada on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would bar the Montreal-based plane maker’s business south of the border unless it moved its operations stateside.
Media additions
NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!
he said. If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’
Trump’s threat came less than 11 hours before Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs on American goods took effect just after midnight on Tuesday, a response to the 50 per cent duties Washington imposed on Canada last month.
Industry observers and corporate executives were quick to highlight that Bombardier already maintains an extensive operational footprint within the United States. According to The Canadian Press, the company employs approximately 3,500 workers across states including Kansas, Texas, and California, with its defence division headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Furthermore, the plane maker distributes more than US$2.5 billion annually to 2,800 American suppliers spanning 47 states, indirectly supporting tens of thousands of jobs.
| Metric / Region | Bombardier U.S. Footprint | Wider Industry Context |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Employees | ~3,500 workers across multiple states | — |
| U.S. Suppliers | 2,800 suppliers across 47 states | — |
| Annual U.S. Spending | More than US$2.5 billion | , |
| U.S. Content in Planes | At least 40 per cent | , |
| Aerospace Trade Surplus | , | US$109 billion (AIA data) |
Ross Aimer, CEO of California-based Aero Consulting Experts, highlighted the deeply entwined nature of aerospace manufacturing across the continent and beyond.
A lot of these parts are made in the U.S. by U.S. workers. There’s really not an exclusively produced commercial jet or aircraft or even automobile these days,
he said in a phone interview.
Most Bombardier planes feature at least 40 per cent U.S. Content, analysts say.
National Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen said blocking a major manufacturer from the market would “undoubtedly” cause revenue and job losses at American parts producers.
One would hope that large U.S. aerospace suppliers would lobby on behalf of one of their most important customers — both GE Aerospace and Honeywell Aerospace supply engines to Bombardier,
he said in a note to investors.
Bombardier’s U.S. Customer base also means a ban on sales would be “massively disruptive” to the many American jet fleet operators awaiting Bombardier deliveries, he said.
It is not clear under what legal authority the U.S. could ban a single importer at a whim,
Doerksen said.
Desjardins analyst Benoit Poirier observed that the private aviation market remains structurally undersupplied, with customer backlogs exceeding two years as demand for private planes surges, according to The Canadian Press. Investment bank Stifel analysts similarly reported that the business jet market remains historically tight, warning that a sales ban would severely disrupt U.S. Customers who already face multi-year waits, as cited by CBS News.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a release it “firmly opposes” any U.S. Prohibition on Bombardier sales, arguing it would undermine the aerospace industry and job growth in both countries.
In Kansas, a state where Trump won by about 16 percentage points in 2024, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran noted in a social media post that Bombardier supports a local workforce of more than 1,000 employees.
I reached out to the Trump administration to make certain the president is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain,
he wrote.
Quebec incumbent premier Christine Fréchette said the province has to be prepared.
Sometimes it’s the prelude to action. Sometimes it’s a threat that goes nowhere,
she said at a public gathering near Quebec City amid a provincial election campaign. The governing CAQ leader added: The threat is real.
In January, Trump singled out Bombardier in a threat to ground all Canadian-made aircraft and slap them with a 50 per cent tariff unless Ottawa approved Gulfstream business jets, assembled in Savannah, Ga., marking an earlier escalation of trade tensions between the two countries.
