US President Donald Trump has intensified his trade conflict with Canada, by threatening to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft sold in the US.
Also suggested that certification for Canadian made aircraft could be revoked if Ottawa does not expedite approvals for a number of Gulfstream aircraft.
Trump connected the tariff threat to what he claimed were Canada’s regulator delays in certifying Gulfstream models, such as the 500, 600, 700 and 800 in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
“I am going to charge Canada a 50% tariff on any and all aircraft sold into the United States of America,” US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Aerospace certification dispute
Trump also said he was “decertifying” Bombardier Global Express business jets and more broadly, all Aircraft made in Canada, a move that would be highly unusual because certification systems are designed around safety rather than trade leverage.
The president was not advocating for the grounding of Canadian built aircraft that are currently in use in the United States, a White House official told Reuters.
According to aviation data firm Cirium, there are over 5,000 Canadian made aircraft of various types registered in the US, including 150 Bombardier Global Express aircraft.
In order to prevent travelers from being inconvenienced, Bombardier stated that it was in communication with the Canadian government and hoped that the problem would be swiftly resolved.
Industry leaders cautioned that using certification as a negotiating tool could backfire internationally.
Richard Aboulafia, managing director at Aero Dynamic Advisory said, “Mixing safety issues with politics and grievances is an incredibly bad idea.”
Additionally, Reuters pointed out that it’s unclear if the Federal Aviation Administration can legally cancel certifications for reasons other than safety, such as economics.
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The latest threat lands as the US, Canada and Mexico edge toward a formal review of the USMCA trade pact due by July 1, 2026, with Trump’s tariff rhetoric adding to uncertainty across North American supply chains.
