Boeing jet returns to US from China amid tariff war

A Boeing jet that arrived at a completion plant near Shanghai last month was returning to the US, flight tracking data showed on Friday, in a sign that at least one Chinese airline could be halting deliveries due to US tariffs.

The US plane maker was reported earlier this week to face a Chinese ban on its imports, part of an escalating confrontation over US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” global tariffs, though industry sources said the status of rules remained unclear.

The Boeing 737 Max was involved in two fatal crashes not long after the aircraft launched.Credit: Bloomberg

In a sign that Boeing was preparing for normal business just weeks before Trump announced tariffs on April 2, tracking data showed at least four new 737 Max planes sitting at a completion and delivery centre in Zhoushan, where Boeing installs interiors and paints liveries before handing aircraft to customers in China.

Three arrived from Boeing in Seattle in March and one arrived last week, according to Flightradar24.

On Friday morning, one of those jets departed Zhoushan for Guam – one of the stops such flights make as they cross the Pacific Ocean before reaching Seattle – indicating it was making the return journey, tracking data shows.

Photos posted to plane-spotting websites in February showed it was decorated with a livery for Xiamen Airlines, which is majority owned by China Southern. One source said the plane was expected to be delivered to Xiamen.

In 2024, it was spotted in the US with a Shandong Airlines livery and in 2018 with the Air China logo, other photos showed.

None of those airlines immediately responded to requests for comment.

Aviation publication The Air Current on Thursday (Friday AEDT) reported that the first of three of the four recently arrived planes had been tagged to be recalled to the United States without a handover.

Boeing declined to comment.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Boeing deliveries to China have previously been disrupted at times of tension between Washington and Beijing.

Boeing deliveries to China have previously been disrupted at times of tension between Washington and Beijing. In January 2024, Max deliveries resumed after an almost five-year import freeze.

The plane-maker opened the plant south-east of Shanghai in 2018 under the shadow of a previous round of trade tensions during Trump’s first presidency.

Although Boeing has not followed Airbus in assembling full planes in China, analysts said the aim was to build a lead in one of the world’s largest air travel markets.

Airline and aerospace industry sources said there was no confirmation of a formal ban on Boeing deliveries, reported earlier this week by Bloomberg News, but that the imposition of tariffs would effectively block imports for the time being.

Beijing has also asked that Chinese carriers halt purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies, the Bloomberg report said.

A senior industry source said Boeing and suppliers were planning on the basis that it would not be delivering planes to China for the time being.

However, two US industry sources said they were given no clear instructions not to ship parts to China. A separate source, who runs a maintenance and repair shop for aircraft in China, said they have not had any issues importing American parts.

China’s foreign ministry declined to comment. Asked by media about the reported ban, a spokesperson said: “I’d refer you to competent authorities.”

Beijing has also asked that Chinese carriers halt purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies.Credit: AP

Delivery limbo

For aerospace, Zhoushan is the latest staging post in a growing US-led trade war. Plane makers, airlines and suppliers are reviewing contracts after Reuters reported that US supplier Howmet Aerospace had ignited a debate over the cost of tariffs by declaring a “force majeure event”.

Confusion over changing tariffs could leave many aircraft deliveries in limbo, with some airline CEOs saying they would defer delivery of planes rather than pay duties.

Boeing historically sent a quarter of its deliveries to China, but the proportion has been falling following earlier trade tensions, a 737 Max safety crisis and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysts said a short-term halt in deliveries to China would not have an immediate major impact on Boeing, since it could serve other airlines and Airbus lacks spare capacity.

In the longer term, China remains a strategic market. Boeing says China will more than double its fleet by 2043, with the country set to overtake the US in terms of air traffic.

Boeing data shows 130 unfilled orders for China-based airlines and lessors, including 96 of the 737 Max. Industry sources say a significant portion of the more than 760 unfilled orders for which Boeing has yet to name a buyer are for China.

Chinese airlines lease 55 per cent of their jets, and it is “highly probable” they will try to extend any expiring leases for the time being, IBA chief economist Stuart Hatcher said.

Reuters

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.