President Donald Trump has warned Canadian aircraft company Bombardier that it can no longer sell in the US unless it moves its manufacturing there.
“NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. “If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank’.”
The move comes amid an escalating trade war between the two neighbours, and hours before Canadian retaliatory tariffs are set to be imposed on $20bn (£14.7bn) worth of US goods.
In a statement, Bombardier underscored that it employed thousands of American workers and said it valued its partnerships with American companies.
The BBC has reached out to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office for comment.
It is unclear how Trump intends to block Bombardier from doing business in the US.
The Montreal-based company already operates a factory in the US state of Kansas that builds special mission military planes, and employs 3,500 American workers.
It also operates sites in Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, DC and New Jersey.
About half of its fleet – 5,100 aircraft – is operated by Bombardier customers based in the US.
In a statement on Monday, Bombardier did not address Trump’s threat directly, but said its operations “create tens of thousands of US jobs through the company’s growing American footprint”.
“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its US employees,” its statement said. “Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country.”
Bombardier’s jets are built at facilities in Canada, the US and Mexico, according to the company’s website. They also comply with the North American free trade agreement signed by Trump during his first term, known as CUSMA in Canada and the USMCA in the US.
The company is one of Canada’s largest, having contributed C$7.4bn ($5.4bn; £4bn) to the country’s GDP in 2024, according to a report commissioned by Bombardier.
It is also one of the largest employers in Quebec’s manufacturing sector.
In a post on X on Monday, Quebec premier Christine Fréchette called the company “a source of pride” for her province and “a flagship of our economy”.
She added that she has reached out to Bombardier CEO Éric Martel and offered her government’s full support.
On Trump’s threat, Fréchette wrote: “I will not respond to provocation with provocation.”
“Quebec will not allow anyone to dictate where our companies must produce in order to access a market.”
Trade talks between Canada and the US collapsed late last month after Canada walked away from the negotiating table, after which the US imposed new 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods.
Prime Minister Carney accused the Trump administration of presenting last-minute terms that were “unfair” and “uneconomic”, while US officials accused him of refusing to sign a deal for political reasons because of Trump’s unpopularity in Canada – an accusation he denied.
By BBC News
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