[Text/Observer Network Wang Yi] On April 15 local time, Bloomberg News reported, citing知情人士, that as part of the countermeasures against US tariffs, China has requested domestic airlines to stop accepting Boeing aircraft from the United States and suspend purchases of related equipment and components.

Bloomberg News said this is another major setback for Boeing in one of its largest markets. Since the beginning of the year, Boeing's stock price has fallen by more than 10%, and after the relevant report was published, the company's shares fell by 2.4% on the 15th.

The知情人士told Bloomberg News that this order was issued after China announced last week that it would impose a 125% tariff on American goods, which will double the cost of American-made aircraft and their components, effectively making it impossible for Chinese airlines to accept Boeing aircraft.

According to data from the aviation group, about 10 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are waiting to be delivered to Chinese airlines, with each of China Southern Airlines, Air China, and Xiamen Airlines having two each. Data from the aviation production tracking website shows that some of these planes are parked near Boeing's factory base in Seattle, USA, while others are at the Boeing completion center in Zhoushan, eastern China.

Boeing 737 MAX fuselage Visual China

The知情人士also revealed that some delivery documents and payment procedures for the aircraft may have been completed before the tariffs on American goods took effect in China, allowing these aircraft to potentially enter the country.

In the fleet of Chinese airlines, Airbus has taken the lead over Boeing. Bloomberg News chart

Regarding the suspension of Boeing aircraft deliveries this time, Sheila Kahyaoglu, an analyst at Jefferies Investment Bank, wrote in a research report that people hope this is temporary and that China is just using it as a negotiating chip.

Seth Seifman, an analyst at JPMorgan, wrote in a report that although other markets such as India have shown a willingness to buy more Boeing aircraft, this is only short-term demand, "in the long run, the Chinese market is very important for Boeing."

Bloomberg Industry Research pointed out that it is expected that in the next 20 years, China will account for 20% of global aircraft demand. It is not surprising that China suspends Boeing aircraft deliveries during the trade war between China and the United States, as China orders only a small portion of the backlog orders, which is controllable. However, if Boeing cannot sell these aircraft to other airlines, this will undermine the company's efforts to reduce inventory and improve production efficiency.

Boeing is slowly recovering from a series of safety incidents and strike crises. The incident involving the detachment of the aircraft door since early 2024 exposed Boeing's defects, triggering a prolonged strike and strict scrutiny by regulatory authorities. Boeing subsequently replaced its CEO and began a comprehensive reorganization.

However, Trump's tariff policy may drag Boeing back into trouble. Last month, Politico News reported that tariffs will impact the aviation industry, which heavily relies on international supply chains, and Boeing could become the "biggest victim" of this tariff war. Compared to its competitor Airbus, Boeing finds it harder to pass on costs, and tariffs will push China towards purchasing domestically made or Airbus aircraft, posing a risk of losing the Chinese market for Boeing.

In addition, tariffs may also affect Boeing's deliveries in the global market. Some airline CEOs told Reuters that they would rather delay aircraft deliveries than pay tariffs.

Michael O'Leary, CEO of European budget airline Ryanair, previously told the Financial Times that if tariffs cause a rise in Boeing aircraft prices, they might delay receiving these aircraft. Ryanair originally planned to receive 25 more aircraft from Boeing this August, but these aircraft won't be needed until March or April 2026.

"We may delay receiving them, hoping common sense will prevail," O'Leary said.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493757579861017088/

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