‘Build here, and stop treating America like a 'piggybank’’
A threat aimed at Bombardier is a reminder that U.S. companies with cross-border supply ties, and the American workers and suppliers behind them, can get caught in the middle of an escalating trade dispute with little warning.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Montreal-based Bombardier would no longer be permitted to sell aircraft in the United States unless it manufactures there, writing, "NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren't good enough!"
He added that the company must "build here, and stop treating America like a 'piggybank.'"
The threat lands despite Bombardier's deep ties to the U.S. economy. A company statement said Bombardier supports "tens of thousands of U.S. jobs" through direct employment in more than 20 states and a supplier network of roughly 2,800 American firms across 47 states, adding, "Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees."
The White House had not explained how it intends to enforce restrictions on aircraft already certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, according to Reuters.
Earlier this year, Trump decertified Bombardier Global Expresses, and all aircraft made in Canada, "until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certified, as it should have been many years ago."
Industry response
Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia said he doubted business-jet customers would cancel existing orders and questioned how Trump could block sales, noting most Bombardier aircraft use U.S.-built engines from Honeywell Aerospace and GE Aerospace, according to a Thomson Reuters report.
McGill University supply-chain lecturer John Gradek said Bombardier may be the "first of many" Canadian companies targeted as the trade dispute continues, adding that Trump may not have fully considered the impact on American workers and buyers, according to the same report.
Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said on social media that she would not respond to Trump's "provocations with more provocations," calling Bombardier "a source of pride for Quebec, a flagship of our economy, and a major player in our aerospace industry." She said she contacted Bombardier CEO Éric Martel to offer support.
Broader trade measures take effect
The Bombardier threat coincided with Canada's new counter-tariffs against the United States taking effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, part of a dollar-for-dollar retaliation plan announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, which adds further uncertainty for U.S. exporters and their Canadian trading partners alike.
In response, Quebec's government unveiled procurement changes allowing public contracts to be reserved for Quebec- or Canadian-based companies, along with a 15 percent preference margin tied to local content, according to a CBC report. In a statement, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Ministry of Economy said the province "aims to be prepared should the situation escalate further," according to the same report.
The province also expanded emergency financial assistance to small and medium-sized businesses with annual revenues between $200,000 and $2 million, and launched an interprovincial task force to help companies reduce reliance on U.S. markets, CBC reported.
Recently, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) called on Ottawa to create a Small Business Tariff Relief (SBTR) program.
