Boeing is attempting to redirect up to 50 aircraft ordered by Chinese airlines to other customers due to significant tariffs resulting from Donald Trump’s trade disputes. The US manufacturer expressed confidence in finding alternative buyers for these planes and has been lobbying Trump personally to address this “unfortunate situation.”
Two Boeing jets have already returned to the US from China, and another is set to follow, following the imposition of steep 125% tariffs on American imports. China implemented these levies in response to the White House’s 145% rate, which threatens to slow down the global economy.
In a call with investors, Boeing’s chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, stated his hope that these tariffs will be resolved over time. The company announced that its losses for the first quarter of 2025 had narrowed to $31 million, compared with $355 million a year earlier. Ortberg also expressed Boeing’s preference for a non-tariff environment, contrasting with Trump’s belief that tariffs will restore US manufacturing dominance.
Ortberg mentioned that many of Boeing’s Chinese customers are deferring delivery. However, the company has received inquiries from airlines outside China regarding some of the planes. Boeing is actively working to find alternative markets for these aircraft and, if necessary, repaint the planes with different airlines’ colors.
Production is ongoing on 41 aircraft originally designated for China, with an additional nine planned for delivery this year. Despite the trade challenges, overall demand for planes has not been significantly affected, allowing Boeing to continue increasing production of its best-selling 737 Max to 38 units per month. Boeing’s share price rose by 5.7% on the day of this announcement.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/23/boeing-hopes-to-find-new-buyers-for-up-to-50-planes-returned-by-china
