Bombardier highlights US manufacturing after President Trump threat
There could be stormy weather ahead for Bombardier's relations with the US government.
Bombardier has highlighted its commitment to business jet manufacturing in the US after President Donald Trump threatened to ban the sale of the company’s aircraft unless the firm relocated production to America.
Commenting on his social media platform Truth Social yesterday (September 7th), President Trump wrote: “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!”. He added: “If they want our Market, they must build here and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank’.”
The president also claimed that more than half of Bombardier’s revenue comes from US customers and said Canada of imposing “unfair” restrictions on American customers.
Without naming President Trump, the manufacturer said in a statement: “Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its US employees. Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country.”
‘Clear winner’
The American aerospace industry is “a clear winner on trade and exports”, it said. “Aerospace is routinely one of the top export sectors for the United States and a continual trade surplus winner.” Bombardier contributed strongly to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the US, according to the manufacturer.
The company highlighted its US workforce throughout the US, citing facilities in Kansas, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, Washington D.C. and New Jersey. The business has an overall direct employment presence in more than 20 states and worked with about 2,800 American companies across 47 states. In total, the spends over $2.5bn with suppliers each year. Bombardier aircraft are built with American-made components such as engines, avionics and many more key systems provided by great American companies, it continued.
Grow its service network
Bombardier also highlighted plans to grow its defence activities as well as its service network and will, later this year, inaugurate a new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In August last year the manufacturer pledged to expand its service network throughout the US and hailed its new manufacturing facility in Moorpark, California as an “important move”, which showed its “cutting-edge innovation” and commitment to “high-quality jobs”.
President Trump’s post was made amid growing economic tensions between the two countries after he placed a 25% tax on Canadian cars and trucks, as well as taxes on Canadian steel, aluminium and lumber. Last month the president imposed new 50% tariffs goods on goods such as dairy, alcohol, hockey sticks and perfume. Canada has responded with counter tariffs of up to C$28bn ($20.24bn) on American products.
Read the manufacturer’s statement in full here and the president’s social media post here.
Meanwhile, the president’s Truth Social post concluded with the advice: “BUY AMERICAN. FLY ON AMERICAN AIRLINERS. ENJOY AMERICAN LIQUOR AND BEVERAGES. SAIL ON LAKE AMERICA. AMERICA FIRST!”
