Washington: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that China has gone back on a major Boeing aircraft deal, after a news report that Beijing ordered airlines not to take further deliveries of the US aviation giant’s jets.
Trump’s comments on social media followed a Bloomberg news report about the halt.
The report also said that Beijing requested Chinese carriers to pause purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US firms, as tensions escalate between the world’s two largest economies over a growing trade war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Interestingly, they just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committed to aircraft.”
However, he did not specify the terms or scale of the agreement in question.
Bloomberg News reported that Chinese authorities had instructed domestic airlines to suspend further deliveries of Boeing jets.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the report also noted that Beijing had requested its carriers halt purchases of aircraft-related equipment and spare parts from US companies.
The move is widely seen as retaliation against the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 145 percent tariff on a broad range of Chinese imports.
Trump, who returned to the presidency earlier this year, has also introduced a baseline 10 percent tariff on most US trading partners and has directed additional levies specifically targeting Chinese goods.
Boeing’s shares fell by approximately 1.5 percent following the news on Tuesday morning.
Earlier in the day, the stock had dropped by around 2 percent after Bloomberg’s initial report.
The US aerospace giant has long viewed China as one of its most critical growth markets, despite the dominance of European rival Airbus and rising competition from Chinese aircraft manufacturer COMAC.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment, while Boeing declined to provide a statement.
The Bloomberg report also highlighted that China’s top three airlines — Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern — were scheduled to receive 45, 53, and 81 Boeing aircraft respectively between 2025 and 2027.
Meanwhile, Chinese carriers have reportedly been advised to stop acquiring US-made aviation components and spare parts, a move expected to increase maintenance costs for Boeing jets already in operation across China.
According to Bloomberg, Beijing is exploring ways to provide financial assistance to affected airlines, particularly those leasing Boeing aircraft and now facing increased operating expenses.
Trump further escalated rhetoric against Beijing, accusing it of failing to honour a prior trade agreement reached during his first term.
“China bought only a portion of what they agreed to buy,” he said.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to protecting American farmers, who often bear the brunt of trade disputes. “Farmers are frequently put on the front line with our adversaries, such as China,” he stated.
The latest measures by China come in response to sweeping US tariffs that have targeted hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese goods.
In retaliation, Beijing recently imposed a 125 percent levy on American imports, including agricultural products and manufactured goods.
