U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated trade tensions with Canada by threatening to decertify Canadian-made aircraft and impose steep tariffs, directly singling out aerospace manufacturer Bombardier in a social media post Thursday evening.
Trump accused Canada of refusing to certify several Gulfstream aircraft models, claiming the process has been unfairly delayed for years. In response, he declared that Bombardier’s Global Express jets — along with all aircraft manufactured in Canada — would be decertified for use in the United States until Gulfstream jets are fully approved.
The president warned that if the issue is not resolved immediately, his administration will impose a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aircraft sold in the U.S., a move that could have significant consequences for Canada’s aerospace sector and cross-border trade.
The threat comes amid renewed friction between Washington and Ottawa following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he warned that the traditional rules-based global order is breaking down and urged middle-power countries to resist economic coercion by larger nations.
Trump publicly criticized Carney’s remarks and later withdrew an invitation for Canada to participate in his proposed “Board of Peace.” Tensions further intensified over the weekend when Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods following Ottawa’s limited trade arrangement with China related to electric vehicles and agriculture.
While U.S. officials later clarified that the harsher tariffs would only apply if Canada pursued a full free-trade agreement with China, Trump’s latest comments mark another sharp turn in rhetoric, placing Canada’s aerospace industry directly in the crosshairs.
Bombardier has significantly expanded its footprint in Ontario in recent years, opening a massive Global Manufacturing Centre in Mississauga near Pearson International Airport in 2024. The 770,000-square-foot facility is one of the largest industrial structures built at the airport in decades and plays a key role in producing some of the world’s most advanced business jets.
Industry observers warn that any move to decertify Canadian aircraft or impose tariffs could disrupt supply chains, threaten high-skilled jobs, and strain one of the most integrated manufacturing relationships between the two countries.
For now, the threat adds fresh uncertainty to an already volatile Canada-U.S. trade relationship, as Ottawa prepares for broader negotiations while facing increasing pressure from Washington.