"China Orders Suspension of Boeing and U.S. Aviation Part Imports for Airlines"

 

China Halts Boeing Jet Deliveries, U.S. Aviation Imports Amid Escalating Trade War

China has instructed its airlines to suspend further deliveries of Boeing aircraft and stop purchasing U.S.-made aviation parts, according to a Bloomberg News report on Tuesday, which cited people familiar with the matter.

The move comes as Beijing responds to the United States' recent imposition of steep tariffs—totaling 145%—on Chinese goods. In addition to halting Boeing jet deliveries, Chinese authorities have directed domestic carriers to cease procurement of aircraft-related equipment from American companies.

Bloomberg's sources also indicated that the Chinese government is exploring measures to support airlines currently leasing Boeing aircraft, as they face mounting financial pressure due to the rising cost of U.S. aviation equipment.

This escalation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a new 125% levy on Chinese imports. The White House later clarified that this is an additional charge on top of an existing 20% tariff, bringing the total tariff rate on certain Chinese goods to 145%.

The initial 20% tariff was introduced in response to what the U.S. government characterized as China's involvement in the production and distribution of fentanyl entering the United States.

In an earlier statement posted to its customs department website—reviewed by SaharaReporters—Chinese officials accused the U.S. of breaching international trade standards.

“On April 10, 2025, the U.S. government announced that the ‘reciprocal tariff’ on Chinese goods exported to the U.S. would be further increased to 125%,” the statement read. “The U.S.’s imposition of abnormally high tariffs on China seriously violates international economic and trade rules, basic economic laws, and common sense, and is completely a unilateral act of bullying and coercion.”

The State Council Tariff Commission subsequently issued an official resolution:

“Announcement No. 5 of 2025: Adjustment of Tariff Measures on Imports Originating in the United States”.

According to the notice, retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports will be raised from 84% to 125%, effective April 12, 2025. It further warned that “at the current tariff level, there is no market acceptance for U.S. goods exported to China,” and said China would no longer engage with further U.S. tariff actions.

The resolution referred back to a previous directive—Announcement No. 4 of 2025—for the implementation of other related measures. Meanwhile, earlier reporting by SaharaReporters highlighted that President Trump had announced a 90-day pause on all reciprocal tariffs—except for those targeting China. The pause, communicated via a post on Trump’s Truth Social account, also included a temporary reduction in reciprocal tariffs to 10% during this period.

However, in a pointed escalation directed at Beijing, Trump increased reciprocal tariffs against China to 125%, up from a prior rate of 104%. The move followed the expiration of a White House deadline for China to eliminate its own retaliatory tariffs.

In response, China declared it would "fight to the end" against what it described as aggressive and unjust U.S. trade practices. Shortly after, Beijing raised its own tariffs on U.S. goods from 34% to 84%.

As tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to mount, both sides appear entrenched in a deepening trade war with no resolution in sight.