In a significant escalation of trade tensions, former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Canada, threatening to impose a substantial 50% tariff on all aircraft imported from the neighbouring nation. This aggressive move comes as part of an ongoing dispute over the certification of American-made Gulfstream jets within Canadian airspace.
Trump's Truth Social Ultimatum
Taking to his Truth Social platform on Thursday, January 29, Trump declared his intention to levy what he described as a "massive" 50% tariff on any and all aircraft sold to the United States from Canada. The former president justified this drastic measure by accusing Canadian authorities of "wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly" refusing to certify several Gulfstream aircraft models, specifically naming the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and 800 series jets.
Retaliatory Decertification Measures
In what appears to be a tit-for-tat response, Trump announced that the United States would be decertifying Canada's Bombardier Global Express aircraft until American Gulfstream jets receive full certification from Canadian aviation authorities. The former president claimed that Canada is effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products through what he characterised as an unfair certification process.
"If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America," Trump wrote in his characteristically direct social media post.
Broader Trade War Context
This latest threat follows closely on the heels of another aggressive trade warning issued by Trump over the previous weekend. In that earlier statement, the former president threatened to impose a staggering 100% tariff on all goods imported from Canada should the country proceed with a planned trade agreement with China, which Trump has repeatedly identified as a major economic rival to the United States.
The combination of these threats represents a significant hardening of Trump's trade policy toward Canada, suggesting a willingness to employ multiple pressure points in what appears to be developing into a comprehensive trade confrontation between the two traditionally close allies.
Aviation Safety Experts Express Concern
Industry experts have reacted with alarm to Trump's proposal to use aircraft certification as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. According to Richard Aboulafia, managing director of industry consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, no previous US president has ever directly decertified aircraft - a decision that has traditionally been left to aviation safety experts at the Federal Aviation Administration.
"Using aircraft safety as a tool in a trade war is just an incredibly bad idea," Aboulafia told CBS News, highlighting the potential dangers of politicising what should be purely technical safety determinations. Aviation professionals worry that mixing trade policy with aircraft certification could compromise safety standards and set a dangerous precedent for future international aviation relations.
Potential Economic Impact
The threatened 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft imports would represent a severe blow to the aerospace industries of both nations. Canada's Bombardier, which produces the Global Express aircraft mentioned in Trump's decertification threat, would face significant market access challenges in the United States, while American airlines and other aircraft purchasers would see costs for Canadian-built aircraft increase dramatically.
This development comes at a particularly sensitive time for global aviation, which is still recovering from pandemic-related disruptions and facing increasing pressure to meet environmental targets. The imposition of such tariffs could disrupt supply chains, increase costs for airlines, and potentially affect air travel prices for consumers on both sides of the border.
The situation remains fluid, with Canadian authorities yet to issue an official response to Trump's latest threats. However, the escalation suggests that trade relations between the United States and Canada may be entering a new and more confrontational phase, with aircraft certification emerging as an unexpected but significant battleground in broader economic tensions.
