Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on Canadian Aircraft

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly threatened to impose tariffs of 50% on Canadian-made aircraft sold in the United States as part of its ongoing trade dispute.

In his social-media post made on Truth Social January 29, Trump declared he was “decertifying” Bombardier Global Express jets and all Canadian-made aircraft” until certain U.S. aircraft (from Gulfstream) are certified by Canada.

“If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America,” Trump said in his post.

For context, Gulfstream and Montreal-based Bombardier companies are competitors. According to the Associated Press, Bombardier issued a statement that it has taken note of the President’s post and has been in touch with the Canadian Government. It also said its aircraft are fully certified to FAA standards.

“Thousands of private and civilian jets built in Canada fly in the U.S. every day. We hope this is quickly resolved to avoid a significant impact to air traffic and the flying public,” the company said.

Aircraft certification (approval for planes to fly in the U.S.) is normally handled by independent regulators like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), not by the President directly. Experts say there is no clear legal mechanism for the president alone to “decertify” existing Canadian aircraft on safety grounds for trade reasons.

A White House official has clarified that the threat, if carried out, would apply only to new planes being imported — not planes already flying in the U.S.