- Trump threatened to block Bombardier sales unless the company builds jets in the United States.
- Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday, targeting roughly 700 U.S. product categories worth about C$27.6 billion.
- Kansas lawmakers said Bombardier’s Wichita operation supports more than a thousand local employees and defense work.
President Donald Trump threatened to block Bombardier from selling jets in the United States unless the Canadian aircraft maker begins manufacturing there, putting Wichita aerospace jobs at the center of a widening trade fight.
The threat came Monday, September 7, 2026. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
The White House gave no public enforcement plan. The company’s aircraft already hold approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Trump made the demand on Truth Social.
“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!”
“If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a 'piggybank,'”
The president also claimed that “Over 50% of their revenue comes from the United States.” He said Canada “blocks our GREAT American Banks, and Companies, throughout the U.S.A.”
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., responded by contacting the administration. He said the company’s Wichita operation supports more than a thousand local employees and contributes to national defense and aerospace capabilities.
Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., also defended the operation. He pointed to the company’s American suppliers, maintenance and repair facilities, and military work.
The Wichita presence extends beyond the factory floor. Employment estimates vary by measure, but one account put the company’s Kansas workforce around 1,500 and its U.S. workforce around 3,500. More than 40% of its American employees work in Wichita.
Canada’s tariff retaliation widened the dispute
Canada’s measures target roughly 700 U.S. product categories. They followed earlier American tariffs on Canadian imports.
| Canadian measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Effective time | 12:01 a.m. on September 8, 2026 |
| Estimated value | About C$27.6 billion |
| Rates | 15%, 25% and 50% |
| U.S. goods covered in one description | Roughly $20 billion |
| Earlier U.S. tariffs | 50% on imports from Canada |
The tariff fight now reaches an aircraft manufacturer with operations or manufacturing partners in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kansas and New Jersey. Its broader American workforce spans more than 20 states.
The company said its U.S. presence supports “tens of thousands” of jobs. Its supplier network includes about 2,800 American companies across 47 states.
Bombardier described itself as “a strong contributor” to the American aerospace industry and said it was responsible for “creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”
The administration has not explained how a sales ban would work
Aviation lawyers questioned whether the administration could stop deliveries of jets already approved by the FAA. The White House has not publicly detailed the legal or administrative mechanism.
The aircraft also comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, the North American agreement the president helped implement. That status could complicate any effort to restrict sales through the tariff dispute.
The threat therefore remains broader than an announced tariff or licensing order. No formal sales prohibition accompanied the social-media posts.
The company’s U.S. footprint also includes workers in Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, Washington D.C. and New Jersey. Its suppliers reach nearly every region of the country.
The aircraft maker has already faced two earlier threats this year
The administration’s latest warning follows a series of aircraft-related disputes with Canada.
In January 2026, Trump said the United States was decertifying Bombardier Global Express business jets. He also threatened 50% import tariffs on all aircraft made in Canada unless Canada’s regulator certified several Gulfstream aircraft.
That certification did not happen at the time. Transport Canada later certified several Gulfstream planes.
The president returned to the issue on July 9, 2026. He said commercial aircraft could face action under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 because imports may threaten national security.
Kansas lawmakers are now pressing their case directly. Moran is not up for re-election this year, while Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is running for another term and said he would fight to protect the state’s Bombardier jobs.
Adam Hamilton, Marshall’s Democratic challenger, said the company supports 1,500 Kansas families with good-paying jobs and “now the president is trying to take that away.”
The dispute leaves the Wichita workforce watching for a formal order. The company’s jets remain FAA-approved, and Canada’s counter-tariffs began on September 8, 2026.
