"China Orders Airlines to Suspend Delivery of US Boeing Aircraft"

Chinese Authorities Also Demand Suspension of Aircraft Equipment and Parts Purchases

China, which is engaged in a tariff war with the United States, is reportedly retaliating by ordering its domestic airlines to halt the delivery of American Boeing aircraft.

Bloomberg News reported on the 15th (local time), citing multiple sources, that Chinese authorities issued this order after raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% last weekend.

American Airlines Flight 718, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from the United States. Photo by Reuters

According to the sources, Chinese authorities have instructed domestic airlines to stop purchasing aircraft-related equipment or parts from American companies. They are also considering measures to support local airlines facing increased costs due to leasing Boeing aircraft.

Bloomberg explained that the cost of importing American aircraft or parts has more than doubled for Chinese airlines, making it difficult to acquire Boeing aircraft. Earlier on the 11th, Bloomberg cited anonymous sources reporting that China Zhixiang Airlines (Junyao Airlines) had postponed the delivery of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

According to aviation data analysis firm Aviation Flights Group (AFG), among the 10 Boeing 737 Max aircraft awaiting delivery to Chinese airlines, 2 were scheduled for China Southern Airlines and 2 for Xiamen Airlines. Some of the Boeing aircraft awaiting delivery are located at the Boeing factory in Seattle, USA, and the Zhoushan factory center in Zhejiang Province, China.