Trump Threatens to Ban Bombardier Jet Sales as Canada's $20 Billion Tariffs Take Effect

President Trump said on Truth Social on Sept. 7 that Bombardier can no longer sell planes in the U.S. unless it builds them domestically, writing "NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!" and accusing Canada of treating America like a "piggybank." The threat came hours before Canada's retaliatory tariffs, covering roughly $20-27.6 billion of hundreds of U.S. products at rates from 15% to 50%, including a doubling of steel and aluminum duties, took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Canada's tariffs respond to the 50% duties Trump imposed in July on Canadian goods including wine, dairy, cement and furniture.

The episode shows trade policy increasingly set through unilateral social-media threats; Forbes noted it is unclear how Trump could legally decertify Bombardier's FAA-approved aircraft, since certification is a safety matter regulated by the FAA rather than a trade lever. It follows an unfulfilled January threat to decertify Bombardier jets, amid broader U.S.-Canada talks stalled over the pending USMCA review.

Canada's retaliatory tariffs took effect as scheduled on Sept. 8. Bombardier had not issued a substantive response, and the administration had not taken formal action to implement a sales ban.