Tariff war: Beijing bans Chinese companies from buying Boeing planes. And from receiving those already ordered
According to a report released today by Bloomberg, the Chinese government has ordered its country's airlines to block [...]
China Southern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Air China
According to a report released today by Bloomberg, The Chinese government has ordered its country's airlines to stop deliveries of airplanes manufactured by Boeing and not to order any more. Beijing's diktat is part of the 'eye-for-an-eye' trade war that the United States and the Asian giant have been waging for about two months now, with trade tariffs now skyrocketing.
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After the Trump administration last week raised tariffs on Made in China products imported into the U.S. to 145%, Beijing responded on Friday by raising 'tariffs' on Made in USA imports to 125%.
It is within this framework that the stop of Boeing aircraft, which moreover touches a relatively small number of aircraft: According to the American manufacturer's website, in fact, aircraft ordered and yet to be delivered to Chinese companies are 'just' 130: And if we take out from the 'lot' the 21 777-9s ordered by Cathay Pacific. (since deliveries of the first 777Xs won't begin until late 2026 anyway) and a pair of 777 freighters from Air China and a lessor, that number drops to 110 aircraft, mostly Boeing 737 MAX.
He is waiting for one 36 Ruili Airlines (a low-cost one based in Kunming, in the south-central part of the country), 30 China Southern Airlines, 12 Donghai Airlines (Shenzen-based carrier that is part of the Sichuan Airlines group), 11 the leasing company Minsheng Financial Leasing and 7 Okay Airways. (which has its hubs in Tianjin and Xi'an). In Boeing's Chinese 'backlog' there are also 11 787-9s: six for Ruili Airlines and five for Okay Airways. Much more impressive is Airbus' backlog with Chinese companies, which amounts to 332 aircraft (with 37 delivered so far in 2025).
The import ban on Chinese companies also includes equipment and spare parts if made in the United States. This second part of the ban could have important consequences On China's air transport industry, when considering that only the Chinese 'big three' (Air China, China Southern and China Eastern) have a total of 411 Boeing airplanes in their fleets. And it is a ban that cannot last long, on pain of increasing machine stoppages.
For the past couple of years, the Chinese government has been pushing to Making Chinese air transport more 'indigenous', promoting the purchase by Chinese carriers of Made in China aircraft, That is, built by Comac (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China).
The manufacturer has so far made only short- and medium-range narrow-body aircraft (the Comac C909, which is the Chinese version of the Boeing 717, and the Comac C919, which is 'the Airbus A320 in a Beijing version''), but Has plans for a wide-body aircraft dedicated to the long haul.
