Boeing is considering reallocating some of its aircraft originally intended for Chinese airlines to other carriers, following China’s suspension of plane deliveries amid an escalating trade conflict with the United States.
Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg discussed the situation during an appearance on Finance Newso’s “Squawk on the Street,” stating, “They have in fact stopped taking delivery of aircraft due to the tariff environment.”
“There’s plenty of customers out there looking for the Max aircraft,” Ortberg remarked, emphasizing that the company will not delay in finding new purchasers. “I’m not going to let this derail the recovery of our company,” he asserted.
Ortberg’s remarks followed Boeing’s recent financial report, which revealed a narrower-than-anticipated loss for the first quarter and a cash burn rate that was more favorable than analysts expected, buoyed by a significant increase in airplane deliveries for the period ending March 31.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump enacted extensive tariffs on imports to the United States. Although he has paused some of the steepest rates, tensions in the trade dispute with China have intensified.
On Tuesday, Trump expressed a willingness to adopt a less aggressive stance in trade negotiations with China, acknowledging that the current 145% tariff on Chinese imports is “very high.” He commented, “It won’t be that high. … No, it won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero,” indicating a potential shift in approach toward tariffs.
