#USChinaTensions Why Was the Jet Returned?**

- **Tariff Math**: The new 125% Chinese tariff on U.S.-made aircraft effectively **doubled the jet’s cost** from $55M to over $110M, making delivery financially unviable for Xiamen Airlines.

- **Precedent**: This mirrors past trade war tactics (e.g., China’s 2018 halt of soybean imports from the U.S.), but targeting a flagship American export—Boeing jets—sends a sharper message.