Trump's latest tariff threat has targeted Canada's aviation industry. Here's how reaction unfolded

ruff threatens to tariff, 'decertify' canadian river aircraft in escalating conflict

Trump threatens to tariff, 'decertify' Canadian aircraft in escalating dispute

'We believe that this can be resolved,' Joly says after Trump aviation tariff threat

Aviation analyst 'flabbergasted' by Trump's latest tariff threat

That's a wrap on this page, folks.

Trump hasn't said anything else yet about his threats targeting Canada's aviation industry.

We'll have the latest news on this story when it breaks at cbc.ca/news.

This is not the first time that Trump has targeted Bombardier. 

During Trump's first term, the U.S. Commerce Department placed a nearly 300 per cent tariff on the company’s C Series planes.

That model, now known as the A220, was later sold to Airbus.

But those tariffs were overturned in 2018 after the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., ruled that "100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft from Canada do not injure U.S. Industry."

Bombardier said in a statement published on Thursday that it is in contact with the Canadian government following Trump's announcement. 

"Thousands of private and civilian jets built in Canada fly in the U.S. Every day. We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public," the statement reads. 

More than 3,000 people in the U.S. Are employed by Bombardier across nine major facilities, according to the company. It also says it creates thousands of U.S. Jobs through 2,800 suppliers. 

It appears that government officials in the U.S. Are keeping pretty quiet about Trump's Thursday night post that he is "hereby decertifying their Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in ​Canada." 

Officials from the FAA, the agency that certifies aircraft, have declined comment and referred media queries to the White House.  

A White House official told Reuters that the president was not suggesting decertifying Canadian-built planes currently ⁠in operation.

And the only public statement so far from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is a repost of Trump's post, with three emojis: a U.S. Flag between two airplanes. 

As soon as we get anything more substantial from U.S. Officials, we'll update you. 

In 2024, the last complete year of trade data, about 60 per cent of the 471 Canadian-made aircraft shipped to other countries went to the United States — these planes, and any other aircraft of any weight class, represent a value of $6.6 billion.

The first 11 months of data for 2025 suggests an overall decline in exports, with 325 units shipped as of November, valued at about $4 billion. For Quebec specifically, that decline would be another Trump-related blow to that province's economy, which has already felt the pressure from steel and aluminum tariffs.

Bombardier has about 3,000 employees based in the U.S., which is the world's biggest market for business aviation. The company's headcount in 2024 included more than 17,500 employees across North America, according to its website.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents thousands of workers in the air transportation industry in both the U.S. And Canada, said Trump's threats would lead to "serious disruption" in the sector.

The threats would have "tremendous consequences" for both Canadian and American workers, putting "thousands of jobs at risk on both sides of the border," the union said in a statement on Thursday.

In a post on X, Quebec's Labour Minister Jean Boulet, who is also responsible for the economy and energy, said the remarks from the U.S. President are raising "serious concerns."

He said it is worth noting that Bombardier employs more than 10,000 workers in Quebec, and the reputation of its aircraft is recognized worldwide.

"Quebec will remain vigilant and fully mobilized to defend its businesses, its jobs, and the integrity of commercial and regulatory rules," he wrote.

'We believe that this can be resolved,' Joly says after Trump aviation tariff threat

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, speaking Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to tariff Canada's aviation industry, said Canadian officials are in touch with U.S. Counterparts. Joly, who also took questions about recent GM layoffs, said Canadian officials will fight for workers and continue to focus on what they can control.

Hello, I'm Rachel Watts, a digital journalist based in Quebec. 

She says that certification work is "well underway," but it must remain an apolitical process. 

She says her government has been providing support to the industry.

"When the president reacts, tweets, says something, we always take good note. We read, we listen and we don’t panic," she said. 

Joly said she believes "this can be resolved." 

"We will make sure that we fight for every single job at Bombardier and across the sector because this is a really important sector not only for Montreal and Quebec but also for the rest of the country," she said.

This morning, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet issued a statement saying he is concerned about Trump's threats against the Quebec-based company. 

"The aircraft marketed by Bombardier fully comply with all applicable U.S. Regulations and certifications and are essential to routine air operations there," he wrote. 

"This threat undermines economic stability and the entire continent's air transport network on false pretenses, potentially jeopardizing its safety. 

"The U.S. Government must abandon its threats, obtain complete information from its agencies, their Canadian counterparts, and Bombardier, which has a significant presence in the United States, and rescind the proposed 50% surcharge and flight ban,” Blanchet said. 

Aviation analyst 'flabbergasted' by Trump's latest tariff threat

John Gradek, a faculty lecturer on aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, says Trump's comments hint at a misunderstanding of the plane certification process, as well as how integrated the aviation industry is in North America, even amid the competition between plane manufacturers.

John Gradek, an aviation lecturer at McGill University in Montreal, said he was "flabbergasted" when he heard about Trump's threat to decertify Bombardier planes. 

"To decertify all Canadian-built airplanes would be a significant impact on the U.S. Air market, and Americans would probably be very upset with such a decertification issue," Gradek said. 

He says there are close to 1,000 Canadian-built aircraft operating in the U.S. Domestically. 

Gradek added that it's "not illegal that Transport Canada is taking its time" and said the agency's certification process is exemplary. 

"They’ll take the time required to, in fact, make sure the airplane is safe for Canadians and for that airplane to operate in Canada."

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