Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would decertify the Global Express, a business plane manufactured by Canada's Bombardier, as well as “all aircraft made in Canada” until planes from U.S. manufacturer Gulfstream are certified in Canada.
If Trump does indeed suspend the flights of all Canadian-made planes, it will be a blow to American airlines and passengers, CNN estimates.
According to the US president, Canada is banning the sale of American Gulfstream aircraft in its country. “If for any reason this situation is not immediately corrected, I will impose a 50% tariff on Canada on all aircraft sold to the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
It is unclear whether Trump has the legal authority to decertify the planes. The White House has not issued an executive order on any Canadian tariffs on aircraft.
No president has ever directly decertified a jet aircraft. The decision was always up to aviation safety experts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said Richard Aboulafia, managing director of consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory. “Using aircraft safety as a tool in a trade war is just a terrible idea,” he added.
Bombardier issued a statement in which it indicated that it employs 3,000 employees in the US at nine plants and cooperates with 2,800 American suppliers. One such facility, in Indiana, recently announced expansion plans.
“Thousands of Canadian-made private and civilian jets fly in the U.S. every day,” Bombardier said. “We hope that the issue will be resolved quickly to avoid significant impact on air traffic and passengers.”
Trump did not specify whether the decision to decertify would apply to planes undergoing certification or just certified ones. However, an industry source who spoke to CNN as part of an interview said that the industry's understanding would be that it would apply to “new” private aircraft.
It's the latest episode in a protracted dispute between the U.S. and its closest neighbor that has been ongoing since Trump took office last year.
Just hours earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he expected Trump to “respect Canadian sovereignty” following reports of a meeting between Alberta separatists and U.S. officials. A few days earlier, Trump had threatened to impose a 100% tariffs on America's second-largest trading partner if it strikes a trade deal with China.
Source: CNN
