Boeing’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, confirmed that China has stopped accepting new aircraft deliveries due to the US-China trade war. The company’s shares surged after reporting a smaller-than-expected loss.
Ortberg stated that Chinese customers had “stopped taking delivery of aircraft due to the tariff environment.” However, if the halt continues, Boeing plans to market the jets to other carriers. This is despite President Donald Trump’s trade conflicts with China and other countries potentially affecting Boeing.
Boeing originally planned to deliver around 50 aircraft to China in 2025. Ortberg emphasized that the company will not wait too long to send the jets to other customers. The aviation giant stated it would rather give customers an opportunity to take the airplanes but would re-market them if necessary.
The comments came as Trump and top administration officials have spoken more optimistically about a trade accord with China. However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that Washington is “not yet” speaking with Beijing on tariffs.
Boeing has been implementing quality control enhancements under close scrutiny of federal regulators to win back the confidence of lawmakers and customers. The company reported a loss of $123 million in the first quarter, smaller than the year-ago period, with revenues rising 18 percent to $19.5 billion.
Despite the trade tensions, Boeing downplayed the impact of Trump’s tariffs, stating that steel and aluminum make up only one or two percent of aircraft costs, with most raw materials supplied domestically. The company also reported a cash burn of $2.3 billion, “much better” than expected.
Boeing aims to increase commercial plane production as it bolsters its safety efforts following deadly crashes and other major incidents. Production of the 737 MAX will hit 38 per month in 2025, while output of the 787 Dreamliner will climb to seven per month from five per month.
Source: https://hongkongfp.com/2025/04/24/boeing-ceo-says-china-not-accepting-planes-over-us-tariffs