China halts Boeing deliveries amid escalating trade war with the US: Bloomberg
In a significant escalation of the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, Beijing has instructed its airlines to suspend all deliveries of Boeing aircraft, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News.
The directive also includes halting purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies. The measure affects major Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern, which collectively had plans to receive 179 Boeing planes between 2025 and 2027.
The move comes in direct response to the US government’s recent imposition of tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China announced tariffs of 125% on US imports, significantly increasing the cost of US-made aircraft and components within the Chinese market.
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Boeing, which considers China one of its largest growth markets, could face substantial repercussions from this development. In its 2024 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the manufacturer said it expected China to more than double its commercial airplane fleet by 2043 to meet growing demand for passenger and cargo air travel.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement on April 5, 2025, condemning Washington’s actions.
“The United States has announced, under various pretexts, that it will impose excessive tariffs on all its trading partners, including China,” the statement read. “This has seriously infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, seriously violated the rules of the World Trade Organization, and severely impacted the stability of the global economic order.”
Labeling the US approach as “unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying”, Beijing warned that using tariffs as a weapon to exert pressure on China was bound to be “widely opposed by the international community.”
The suspension of Boeing deliveries, combined with the broader freeze on US aerospace parts, is expected to benefit not only Boeing’s European rival Airbus but also state-backed manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), which has been striving to position its flagship narrowbody jet, the C919, as a viable alternative to foreign aircraft like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo within the domestic market.
COMAC has secured more than 1,000 orders for the C919. Major Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, have each placed orders for 100 aircraft. The manufacturer is also targeting airlines in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Kazakhstan, with Garuda Indonesia, currently seeking up to 70 new single-aisle aircraft, identified as a key potential buyer.
COMAC has also unveiled plans to increase production capacity for the C919 to 50 aircraft per year by 2025.
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In a significant escalation of the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, Beijing has instructed…
The post China halts Boeing deliveries amid escalating trade war with the US: Bloomberg appeared first on AeroTime.
