01/30/2026, 07:3801/30/2026, 07:38
US President Donald Trump is threatening neighboring Canada with a new punitive tariff of 50 percent on aircraft imports. The trigger appears to be a dispute over the registration of US business aircraft in Canada.
US President Donald Trump.Image: keystone
Trump also declared on his Truth Social platform that US approval would be withdrawn from all machines from the Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and all other jets manufactured there.
Trump cited the Canadian authorities’ treatment of Gulfstream, a US manufacturer of business jets, as the reason for the withdrawal and the possible punitive tariff. Trump complained that Canada had not granted operating licenses to several of Bombardier’s competitors’ models and had therefore essentially banned their sale in the neighboring country. If this is not “immediately corrected,” the president threatened that he would impose an additional import fee of 50 percent.
Trump often resorts to tariffs to get his way. Even traditionally close allies like Canada are not spared from this. Sometimes Trump only uses tariffs as a threatening gesture and ultimately does not implement them.
Trump is increasingly attacking ally Canada
Just a few days ago, Trump threatened Canada with horrendous tariffs in order to prevent its neighbor from closer economic cooperation with China. If the Canadian government makes a deal with the People’s Republic, all imports from Canada would be subject to a 100 percent tariff, he wrote on Truth Social.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who – like his predecessor Justin Trudeau – has had various disputes with Trump in the past, traveled to Beijing in January and then announced closer cooperation with China. Canada is withdrawing some of its tariffs on Chinese electric cars, and in return China wants to reduce trade barriers for Canadian agricultural products such as rapeseed.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized Trump several times.Image: keystone
After his trip to China, Carney attracted attention at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a powerful speech that was also understood as a criticism of Trump and his aggressive “America First” policy. The US President had spoken several times about Canada being integrated into the US as a federal state. (dab/sda/dpa)