President Trump threatened Thursday to impose a 50% tariff on all Canadian aircraft sold in the United States. The move retaliates against Canada for refusing to certify jets made by Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace.
Trump decertified Bombardier Global Express business jets and said Canada “wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify” Gulfstream’s 500, 600, 700, and 800 models. He provided no timeline for imposing the tariffs.
The threat targets Quebec-based Bombardier, Canada’s largest aircraft maker. Gulfstream is a General Dynamics subsidiary based in Savannah, Georgia.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Tuesday he informed Trump during a Monday call that Canada will pursue trade diversification away from the United States. At the World Economic Forum last week, Carney announced plans for 12 new trade agreements.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Fox News that Carney walked back his Davos comments during the call. Carney denied this: “To be absolutely clear, and I said this to the president, I meant what I said in Davos.”
The aircraft dispute follows Trump’s weekend threat to impose a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if the country proceeds with a China trade deal.
Trump is pressuring Panama over Chinese port control, isolating Cuba through oil cutoffs, and threatening military action against Colombia while picking a trade fight with America’s largest trading partner over business jet certifications.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 