Trump targets Bombardier sales in the US as Canada’s tariff deadline looms

Canadian aerospace giant Bombardier defended itself Monday and laid out its extensive footprint across the United States after President Donald Trump made the company the latest target of his anti-Canada campaign.

Trump’s rhetoric escalated in the days leading up to a Tuesday deadline for Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States.

The president on Monday threatened to block sales from Bombardier in the United States unless the company built planes south of the Canadian border. 

“If they want our Market, they must build here,” Trump wrote.

In a lengthy statement later Monday, Bombardier said they already do. 

“The American aerospace industry is a clear winner on trade and exports,” the statement said. “Bombardier is a strong contributor to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”

The company’s statement said it has direct employees in more than 20 states and physical sites in Kansas, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, California, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey.

It also said its supply chain includes around 2,800 American firms in 47 states, and that its aircraft utilize American-made components. Its aircraft use American-made engines and avionics. The wings on the Global 8,000, marketed as the “world’s fastest business jet,” are made at a Bombardier plant in Red Oak, Tex., and flight control components are made at its plant in Los Angeles.

“Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its US employees,” the statement said. “Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate across the country.”

In response, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said on social media she wouldn’t respond to Trump’s provocations with more provocations.

“Bombardier is a source of pride for Quebec, a flagship of our economy, and a major player in our aerospace industry,” she wrote in French. “Behind this company are thousands of Quebec workers who showcase our expertise around the world.

“I have reached out to Éric Martel, CEO of Bombardier, to offer him our full support.”

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican, also said on social media he had reached out to the White House “to make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain.”

He said Bombardier employed more than 1,000 people in Wichita.

“I will continue working to see that Bombardier’s manufacturing operations not only remain in Kansas but continue to grow and create American jobs.”

Trump began enforcing tariffs on goods from most countries around the world shortly after returning to office in 2025. The Canadian steel, aluminum, auto and forestry sectors have been among the hardest hit.

Canada’s initial retaliation was later scaled back, but Trump in July threatened new levies if Canada didn’t back down further. That included ending provincial bans on US liquor sales, Canada’s reciprocal tariffs on US-made autos and a long-standing American complaint about Canada’s limits on US tariff-free dairy imports.

Efforts to reach a deal on those issues failed in mid-August, when Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended talks just before a new tariff deadline, accusing Washington of inserting unacceptable last-minute demands that threatened Canada’s sovereignty.

The next day, Trump imposed 50 per cent duties on $28 billion in Canadian goods, including hockey sticks and cement, honey, and cosmetics.

Canada, in response, said it would bring in countervailing Canadian tariffs on the same value of American goods such as dairy products, plywood and sunscreen. They would take effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Carney did not address Trump’s latest missives Monday, but in a Labour Day statement said Canada was looking to diversify its trading partners and that Canada works best “when we look out for one another.”

“Canada is growing stronger and less dependent on any single partner. We are already giving ourselves far more than anyone can take away,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking at a news conference in Regina on Monday, called for more transparency from the prime minister.

He said Canadians need to see how much the counter tariffs would affect consumers and businesses, and what Carney would do to offset those costs.

Poilievre also renewed his call for the prime minister to release the full text of the trade deal that fell through with Washington, saying Canadians voters should see what Carney left on the table.

“All Canadians stand united in denouncing the president’s unacceptable tweets, trolling and tariffs, and we have to stand united for its workers and all of our people,” Poilievre said.

“The Canadian people deserve the facts and a plan — we need to have both of those things from the prime minister, and so far, we’ve had neither.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business warned that small businesses could close because of the trade war, despite Ottawa’s announced supports.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2026.