China bans airlines from importing Boeing planes

BarcelonaChina has ordered its airlines to stop accepting deliveries of aircraft from the US manufacturer Boeing in response to US President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese products. It has also asked airlines to stop any purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies. according to Bloomberg.

The same medium says that the order comes after Beijing will announce retaliation by imposing 125% tariffs on US products.These tariffs alone should more than double the cost of US-made planes and parts, making it difficult for Chinese carriers to accept Boeing aircraft. As a result, China is also looking at ways to help airlines that lease the manufacturer's models and now face higher costs. Following the news, Boeing shares fell as much as 2.5% on the New York Stock Exchange, although the decline eased somewhat throughout the day.

Currently, there are about ten Boeing 373 Max aircraft ready to join the fleets of Chinese airlines such as China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Xiamen Airlines. Some of these planes, Bloomberg explains, are parked near the US company's base in Seattle, while others are at a finishing center in Zhoushan, in eastern China. If payment for some of the planes had been completed before the reciprocal tariffs announced by China went into effect on April 12, they could still be allowed to enter the Asian country.

For Boeing, this halt in its business is a new setback in one of the largest markets in the world for the sale of aircraft. China is expected to represent 20% of global demand for aircraft over the next two decades, and in 2018, almost a quarter of Boeing's production ended. In any case, BloombergRemember that the American aircraft manufacturer has not announced a major order in China in recent years due to trade tensions between the two countries. Since the beginning of 2025, it has delivered 13 737 Max aircraft and three 787s to the Asian country, according to data from airline data company Cirium.

Business Impact

"Boeing's halt in deliveries to China is not unexpected amid its trade war with the US and should be manageable, given that the country's orders represent only a small part of the backlog. However, if Boeing cannot sell these planes to other airlines (airlines to reduce inventory and improve efficiency)," Bloomberg Intelligence analysts point out.George Ferguson and Melissa Balzano.

In any case, China's announcement is a major setback for Boeing, which had started the year on the right foot, surpassing Airbus in aircraft deliveries in January and February. On the other hand, this confrontation also highlights China's dependence on foreign passenger aircraft manufacturers to meet the growing travel demand among its citizens. Although Airbus is its largest supplier and also relies on models produced by the Chinese state-owned manufacturer Comac, local companies that rely on Boeing models will continue to require maintenance and repairs from the US multinational.