China has told its airlines to halt any further Boeing (BOE, Washington National) jet deliveries in response to the United States imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, Bloomberg News reported citing people familiar with the matter.
Beijing has also asked Chinese airlines to suspend any purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies, the sources said. They said the order came after China announced retaliatory tariffs of 125% on US goods over the weekend. Those tariffs alone would more than double the cost of US-made aircraft and parts, making it impractical for Chinese airlines to accept Boeing planes.
The Chinese government is also considering how to provide aid to airlines that lease Boeing aircraft and face rising costs, people familiar with the matter said.
The move impacts Boeing, which sees China as a key growth market, especially as rival Airbus already dominates there. Following the news, Boeing's shares dropped 4.6% in pre-market trading on April 15. Boeing's shares have fallen 10% so far this year.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, several Chinese airlines have aircraft on order from Boeing. This includes thirty-four B737-8 MAX and one B787-9 for China Southern Airlines; five B737-8s for Air China; seven B737-8s for Xiamen Airlines; two B737-8s and five B787-9s for China Eastern Airlines; eight B737-8s for Hainan Airlines; one B737-8 for Shandong Airlines; two B737-8s and one B787-9 for Shanghai Airlines; and two B737-8s for Shenzhen Airlines.
Since January 1, 2025, Chinese airlines have taken deliveries of 20 Boeing aircraft, including thirteen B737-8s, four B777-200Fs, and three B787-9s.
In total, there are currently 2,275 Airbus and 1,865 Boeing aircraft registered to Chinese airlines.
Bloomberg's sources said delivery formalities and payments for some of the aircraft may have been completed before the retaliatory tariffs announced by China on April 11 took effect on April 12, and the planes may be allowed into China on a case-by-case basis.
The news came hard on the heels of Juneyao Air (HO, Shanghai Hongqiao) delaying one B787-9 by its own volition earlier, also because of increased tariffs imposed on US imports. The airline had been expected to take delivery of the aircraft in the next few weeks.
Boeing declined to comment when approached by ch-aviation.
The US-China trade dispute is developing rapidly, with Boeing caught in the middle, although the situation is fluid and could change at any time. US President Donald Trump has backtracked on some tariffs announced earlier.
