Canada says jet certification dispute can be resolved after Bombardier shares slide

Canadian officials said they are working to resolve a dispute with the United States over aircraft certification after comments by US President Donald Trump raised concerns across the aerospace sector and sent Bombardier shares down about 5% in midday trading, according to Reuters.

Trump said Canadian-made aircraft could be de-certified and subjected to tariffs until Transport Canada approves several business jet models produced by Gulfstream. The remarks focused on the certification status of Gulfstream’s large-cabin G700 and G800 jets, which have not yet been cleared by the Canadian regulator.

A White House official said that the president was not proposing to revoke approvals for Canadian-built aircraft already operating in the United States. Even so, the statement caused uncertainty among airlines, business jet operators, and buyers, particularly in the US business aviation market.

Industry officials said any delays in Canadian certification of Gulfstream aircraft have not affected sales. Aviation lawyers noted that Canadian buyers can register Gulfstream aircraft in the United States while certification is pending, allowing operations to continue without interruption.

Trump’s comments directly referenced Bombardier aircraft, including the Global Express family, and suggested that tariffs of up to 50% could be imposed on aircraft sold into the United States if the issue is not resolved. Such a move would affect a wide range of Canadian-built aircraft operating south of the border.

There are about 150 Bombardier Global Express aircraft registered and in service in the United States. In total, there are approximately 5,425 Canadian-built aircraft registered in the US, including regional jets, narrowbody aircraft, business jets, and helicopters.

US airlines rely heavily on Canadian-manufactured aircraft for regional operations, particularly Bombardier CRJ-series jets, while the United States also represents the world’s largest market for business aviation.

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