Trump threatens to ban Bombardier aircraft sales in the U.S. unless company manufactures there

President Donald Trump has threatened to ban Bombardier aircraft sales in the United States unless the Canadian manufacturer moves production to the country.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on September 7. AeroTime quotes him as saying "NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!" and adding that the company's products "aren't good enough," and that "if they want our Market, they must build here." The White House has not explained how such a restriction would be implemented, and no executive order, tariff schedule or regulatory action accompanied the statement.

About half of the approximately 5,100 Bombardier aircraft in service worldwide are operated in the U.S., making the American market critical to the manufacturer. For buyers holding existing Bombardier aircraft, the reporting does not say whether a sales ban would affect their operations or the resale value of their aircraft.

Bombardier's U.S. footprint

Bombardier already operates significant manufacturing and service operations in the United States. The company produces Global 8000 wings at a facility in Red Oak, Texas, and produces flight control components in the Los Angeles area. Bombardier Defense, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, carries out structural modification work on Canadian-built Global aircraft for special-mission customers.

According to Bombardier, the company works with approximately 2,800 U.S. supplier companies across 47 states and spends more than $2.5 billion annually with U.S. suppliers. Bombardier also employs about 3,500 people in the U.S. and has a direct employment presence in more than 20 states. A new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is scheduled to open before the end of 2026.

In its statement responding to Trump's threat, Bombardier said: "Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country."

Military aircraft implications

Bombardier-based aircraft are used by the U.S. military. The U.S. Air Force operates the E-11A, a modified Global XRS/6000-series business jet carrying Northrop Grumman's Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, with nine delivered as of September 2025. The U.S. Army has selected the Global 6500 for its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, with the first prototype airframe delivered on November 25, 2024. Lead integrator Sierra Nevada Corporation, which modifies the HADES aircraft in Hagerstown, Maryland, announced on January 13, 2026 that it had purchased a fourth Global 6500 at its own expense to accelerate the program.

Parallel to January threat

Trump made a similar threat in January 2026 to decertify Bombardier Global Express aircraft and impose a 50 percent tariff on Canadian-built aeroplanes until Canada approved several Gulfstream models. On January 29, 2026, Trump accused Canada of withholding approval for Gulfstream's G500, G600, G700 and G800, saying the U.S. would decertify Bombardier Global Express aircraft in response and threatening a 50 percent tariff on Canadian-built aircraft unless the Gulfstream approvals were granted. That threat did not result in formal action. However, Canada subsequently approved the four Gulfstream models, with Transport Canada type certificates issued for the G500 and G600 on February 15, 2026, and the G700 and G800 on February 23, 2026.