Over Boeing Aircraft Return Incident... China Criticizes Tariffs for Disrupting International Aviation Market

Serious Impact on Global Supply Chain
Chinese Airlines Begin Refusing Aircraft Deliveries This Month
About 50 Boeing Aircraft Scheduled for Delivery to China This Year

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has criticized the United States, stating that the recent return of Boeing aircraft that Chinese airlines were scheduled to acquire is due to large-scale U.S. tariffs hindering cooperation between companies in both countries.

Reuters Yonhap News

On April 29, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a statement regarding the return of three Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, saying, "The United States wielding the tariff stick has dealt a serious blow to the stability of global industrial and supply chains and has disrupted the international air transportation market." The spokesperson added, "Many companies are unable to conduct normal trade and investment activities, and both Chinese airlines and Boeing have suffered significant losses."

The spokesperson also stated, "China will continue to support normal business cooperation between companies in both countries," and added, "We hope the United States will listen to the voices of businesses and create a stable and predictable environment for normal trade and investment activities."

The refusal by Chinese airlines to take delivery of Boeing aircraft occurred this month. Aircraft that had already been painted at Boeing's completion center in China were returned to the United States.

The background to China's refusal to take delivery of the aircraft is widely seen as the U.S.-China tariff war. Since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States in January, the U.S. has imposed additional tariffs of 145% on Chinese imports, while China has retaliated by raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%, deepening the conflict between the two countries.

After news broke of China's refusal to take delivery of Boeing aircraft, President Trump criticized the move on social media on April 24 (local time), stating, "China promised to purchase, yet did not take delivery of beautifully completed (Boeing) aircraft. This is just a small example of what China has done to the United States for many years."

Bloomberg News previously reported that about 50 Boeing aircraft were scheduled to be delivered to Chinese airlines this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.