Author: David Shepherdson and Bhargav Acharya
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States would cancel certification of Bombardier’s Global Express business jets and threatened to impose a 50% import tariff on other Canadian-made aircraft until Canada certifies several aircraft produced by U.S. rival Gulfstream.
“Additionally, Canada has effectively banned the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through the same certification process,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “If for any reason this situation is not corrected immediately, I will impose a 50% tariff on all aircraft sold to the United States.”
It’s unclear which aircraft outside Bombardier’s Global Express franchise will be affected by Trump’s increased tariffs, which include Canadian-made Airbus A220 commercial jets.
As of around 0100 GMT on Friday, more than 400 Canadian-made aircraft were flying to and from US airports, FlightRadar24 said on
Data provider Cirium said there are 150 Global Express aircraft registered in the United States and operated by 115 operators.
Bombardier, General Dynamics’ Gulfstream and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office did not immediately respond when asked for comment.
Trump said Canada refused to certify Gulfstream 500, 600, 700 and 800 jets. In April, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency certified the Gulfstream G800 jet. Transport Canada, which is responsible for certification in Canada, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s unclear how Trump would go about decertifying the planes, as that is the job of the Federal Aviation Administration, but he has made similar statements in the past that were ultimately implemented by the relevant agencies, often under waivers.
It’s unclear whether the FAA can revoke a plane’s certification on economic grounds or what that would mean for U.S. aircraft owners and whether it would prevent them from operating in the United States. The FAA can revoke an aircraft’s certification for safety reasons. The FAA declined immediate comment.
Certification process
Under global aviation rules, the country where an aircraft is designed (the United States in the case of Gulfstream) is responsible for a primary certification called a type certificate to ensure the safety of the design.
Other countries typically verify the decision of the main regulator to allow aircraft into their airspace, but have the right to refuse or request more data. After the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, European regulators delayed approval of some U.S. certification decisions and pressed for further design changes, sparking tensions with the FAA.
