China Sends Back Boeing Jet as Trade War Heats Up

In a dramatic sign of rising U.S.-China trade tensions, a brand-new Boeing 737 MAX originally bound for China’s Xiamen Airlines was returned to the United States over the weekend. The $55 million aircraft touched down at Boeing Field in Seattle at 6:11 p.m. Saturday, following a trans-Pacific journey that included layovers in Guam and Hawaii.

The aircraft had been undergoing final delivery preparations at Boeing’s Zhoushan facility in China when the deal was suddenly scrapped. The cancellation came on the heels of aggressive new tariff measures on both sides of the Pacific. The U.S. recently announced duties as high as 145% on Chinese imports, citing concerns over intellectual property violations and longstanding trade imbalances. China swiftly retaliated with its own 125% tariffs, including on U.S. commercial aircraft—effectively doubling the cost of the jet and making the deal financially unviable.

This latest twist underscores how escalating economic friction is directly impacting major industries. Boeing, long a dominant player in China’s aviation sector, now faces mounting challenges as Chinese airlines may look more favorably on European rival Airbus.

As trade relations sour, the global aviation market—already under pressure—could be in for more turbulence.

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