Trump Demands Bombardier Build Jets in US or Face Ban

United States President Donald Trump has warned Canadian manufacturer Bombardier that it must relocate its production to the US or face a ban on selling its aircraft in the American market. The demand marks a further escalation in trade tensions between the neighboring nations, coming just hours before Canada was set to enact retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of US imports. It remains unclear how the US administration intends to legally enforce a prohibition on the company’s US sales.

Existing US Footprint and Industry Impact

Bombardier, headquartered in Montreal, is one of Canada’s largest industrial firms and a major manufacturer of business aircraft. The company maintains an extensive footprint inside the United States, including a manufacturing facility in Kansas that produces specialized military aircraft and employs 3,500 workers. In total, Bombardier operates facilities across ten US states and Washington, D.C., and states that its operations support tens of thousands of American jobs.

According to company data, approximately half of Bombardier’s active worldwide fleet—totaling 5,100 jets—is owned and operated by customers based in the US. The aircraft are assembled across facilities in Canada, Mexico, and the US in accordance with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the regional trade agreement signed during Trump’s first presidential term. A report commissioned by Bombardier noted that the manufacturer contributed C$7.4 billion ($5.4 billion) to Canada’s gross domestic product in 2024.

Political and Regional Reactions

In a post on social media on Monday, Trump declared that the aircraft maker must build inside the US if it wants access to the market, writing that Canada must stop treating the US “like a ‘piggybank'”. Responding to the comments, Bombardier stated that it values its American partnerships and intends to continue investing in its US employees and communities, though it did not directly address the threat of a sales ban.

Canadian political leaders rejected the demand. Premier Christine Fréchette of Quebec, where Bombardier is a major employer in the manufacturing sector, stated that her province would not allow external forces to dictate production locations for local businesses. Fréchette confirmed she had spoken with Bombardier Chief Executive Officer Éric Martel to offer full government support, adding, “I will not respond to provocation with provocation.”

Background

The dispute over Bombardier follows the collapse of bilateral trade negotiations late last month after Canadian officials withdrew from discussions. In response, the US imposed 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian exports. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized the US position, stating that Washington had introduced terms that were “unfair” and “uneconomic”. US officials countered by alleging that Prime Minister Carney refused to sign an agreement due to domestic political considerations, an assertion that Carney denied.