President Donald Trump warned Monday that Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier can no longer sell its planes in the United States unless the company starts manufacturing its planes in the United States, sharply escalating a bitter trade dispute on the eve of new retaliatory tariffs taking effect between Washington and Ottawa.
The announcement opens a volatile new front in bilateral relations, coming just hours before Canadian counter-tariffs are set to take effect early Tuesday. Ottawa announced about $20 billion of retaliatory tariffs on more than 700 U.S. products, following a series of tariffs imposed by Trump on Canadian products that prompted retaliatory actions.
Truth Social Ultimatums and Trade Escalation
Writing on Truth Social on Monday, the U.S. president made his demands clear to the Canada-based airplane maker without specifying how he intended to reach this result.
“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!”
Donald Trump, U.S. President
Trump added that if they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank’. He stated that they draw their revenues from American buyers, American companies, American airports, and American services—even as Canada places obstacles in the way of major U.S. banks and companies—asserting that over 50 percent of the aircraft maker’s revenues come from the United States.
Trump’s post comes amid a growing trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa, one of many economic policies in his second term, especially a near global tariff-wall, that have drawn complaints from many U.S. trading partners. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Bombardier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Gulfstream Precedent and Regulatory Friction
The current confrontation has deep roots in an earlier dispute. In January, Trump said the U.S. was decertifying Bombardier Global Express business jets and threatened 50 percent import tariffs on all aircraft made in Canada until the country’s regulator certified a number of planes produced by U.S. rival Gulfstream. Neither occurred, but the following month Canada certified several Gulfstream business jets.
President Donald Trump has opened a new front in the United States’ aviation dispute with Canada, declaring on September 7 that Bombardier should no longer be allowed to sell aircraft in the US unless it builds them there. The White House has yet to explain how such a restriction would work, while Reuters notes that Bombardier already has a substantial American presence. The company has also been making major expansions to its U.S. service network, making Trump’s ultimatum potentially consequential well beyond Bombardier’s Canadian factories.
Yet the latest threat did not appear from nowhere. Bombardier was already caught in a confrontation between Washington and Ottawa earlier this year after Canada appeared to delay the certification of four Gulfstream business jets. Trump threatened tariffs and certification action against Bombardier in retaliation; Canada subsequently moved forward with approvals.
Ottawa Breaks Off Talks as Tariffs Loom
Canada has been in first place in the trade war waged by Donald Trump since the return to the White House of Donald Trump in January 2025, when the Republican president repeatedly made clear his intentions.
An Air Canada Bombardier CRJ-900LR aircraft was seen at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Oct. 5, 2025, according to observations documented by Daniel Slim via AFP and Getty Images.
Deeply Integrated American Manufacturing Footprint
Industry observers and international reporting note that Bombardier already maintains strong commercial ties to the United States market, deriving a substantial portion of its business from American clients and operating facilities that link its production cycles directly to American workers and suppliers.
- Bombardier sells a major share of its aircraft to American buyers and corporate operators.
- The company relies extensively on U.S. airports, corporate buyers, and aviation service providers.
- Canada-U.S. aviation commerce remains tightly bound despite recurring regulatory clashes.
Unresolved Enforcement and Market Uncertainty
Neither the White House nor Bombardier issued immediate clarifications on how a domestic manufacturing mandate could be enforced in practice. With retaliatory Canadian duties taking effect on Tuesday, markets remain braced for further escalation as both governments navigate an unprecedented trade standoff.
