China is once again proving it can’t be trusted as a reliable business partner, with Chinese airlines now refusing to take delivery of Boeing aircraft in the middle of the escalating U.S.-China trade standoff.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg revealed on CNBC Wednesday that three Boeing 737 Max airplanes had been ready for delivery in China — but Beijing’s retaliation over President Donald Trump’s tariffs left the planes grounded. Boeing has already flown two of the aircraft back to the U.S. and plans to reclaim the third soon.
“They have in fact stopped taking delivery of aircraft due to the tariff environment,” Ortberg said. “We’re going to be pretty pragmatic. For planes not yet built, we’ll redirect them to other customers. For built planes, we’ll remarket them. There’s no shortage of demand for the Max.”
Ortberg made it clear Boeing won’t let China’s games derail the company’s hard-earned recovery.
President Trump took to Truth Social to encourage Boeing to “default China” over the breach, demanding, “It better stop, NOW!” — a strong signal that American companies should hold foreign bad actors accountable.
The trade tensions escalated earlier this month when President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, standing firm against Communist China’s economic aggression. Beijing retaliated with a 125% tariff on U.S. goods, but it’s clear China is beginning to blink: Reuters reports China is now scrambling to exempt certain U.S. imports from the higher levies.
Meanwhile, Boeing’s financial outlook continues to improve. The company posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the first quarter, with stronger-than-anticipated aircraft deliveries helping to stabilize cash flow.
This is yet another reminder why President Trump’s tough stance on China is needed more than ever — to protect American workers, American companies, and American security.
