No purchase of Boeing jets: China calls on its airlines to boycott the US

Tagesspiegel No purchase of Boeing jets: China calls on its airlines to boycott the US 13 hours • 2 minutes read According to a media report, Chinese airlines are to stop purchasing aircraft or parts from US aircraft manufacturers at the government's request. This would have a significant impact on Boeing. An Air China Boeing 777-300 at Beijing Airport: Chinese airlines will no longer purchase from the US for the time being. In response to the tariff dispute with the US, China has instructed domestic airlines to stop purchasing Boeing aircraft, according to a media report. The Beijing government has also asked Chinese airlines to stop purchasing aircraft parts and equipment from US companies, the Bloomberg news agency reported, citing insiders. The US and China are engaged in a trade war after US President Donald Trump raised tariffs on imports from the People's Republic to 145 percent. China followed suit, imposing import duties of 125 percent on US imports. The Chinese government is considering supporting airlines that lease Boeing jets and face higher costs, Bloomberg News reported. The People's Republic is one of the most important markets for aircraft. Industry estimates predict that China will account for approximately 20 percent of global demand over the next two decades. The country's three largest airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines – plan to take over dozens of Boeing aircraft between 2025 and 2027. Boeing was not immediately available for comment. China was the first country to impose a grounding of the 737 Max short- and medium-haul jet in 2019. This was due to crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The company has also recently been criticized for quality and production deficiencies. A broken cover panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 also resulted in a temporary grounding of most aircraft of this type in January. The escalating retaliatory tariffs between the world's two largest economies threaten to bring trade in goods between China and the US to a standstill, according to analysts. This trade was worth over $650 billion in 2024. (fki, Reuters)