by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:25 AM ET, Fri April 18, 2025
A Boeing jet headed for China returned to the United States on Friday, April 18, amid a deepening trade war that’s sparking fears of a recession worldwide.
Reuters reported the news of the Boeing jet being returned. It was waiting for final work and a handover to a Chinese air carrier at Boeing’s completion center in Zhoushan, where the company installs plane interiors and paints liveries.
Yet FlightAware data found that one of the planes flew from Zhoushan to Guam, a U.S. territory that’s a routine stop for new aircraft, suggesting the plane wasn’t being delivered in China but was heading back to Seattle.
Boeing, which has faced years-long scrutiny after a wide backlog and numerous safety issues, including two deadly plane crashes six years ago, had doubled its jet deliveries in January 2025 compared to a year before following the end of a months-long worker strike, hoping that it could put its troubled past behind it.
Yet the American aircraft manufacturer faces new challenges under Trump’s trade war, with Chinese airlines suspending deliveries of new aircraft as tariffs soar over 100 percent. While there isn’t a direct ban on American aircraft deliveries in China, the tariffs are so high that Reuters noted “Trump’s actions would effectively block aircraft imports without any formal ban.”
China is one of the world’s biggest air markets. A quarter of Boeing’s aircraft was delivered to China in years past, though this number has fallen in recent years. It currently has 130 unfilled orders for Chinese airlines.
Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, recently spoke before the U.S. Congress about Boeing’s recent “unacceptable” missteps and shared the company’s plans to recover consumer confidence, improve safety standards and enhance employee training.
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