Trump Targets Bombardier Amid Ongoing Canada‑US Trade Spat

On Monday the former president took to Truth Social and wrote, “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! If they want our market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’” He capped the tirade with a cheer‑leading mantra: “BUY AMERICAN. FLY ON AMERICAN AIRLINERS. ENJOY AMERICAN LIQUOR AND BEVERAGES. SAIL ON LAKE AMERICA.”

The post lands squarely in the middle of a renewed trade dispute that has been simmering for weeks. In early May the United States slapped a 50 % tariff on roughly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (the article mistakenly names Mark Carney) walked away from talks. Canada vowed to respond in kind, and its own tariff list is set to kick in at midnight on Tuesday.

Trump’s latest jab at Bombardier isn’t his first. Earlier this year he claimed the U.S. was about to “decertify” the Bombardier Global Express – a move that never materialised. White House officials clarified that any restriction would have applied only to brand‑new aircraft, leaving the more than 5,400 Canadian‑built planes already on the U.S. registry untouched.

What makes the current outburst curious is the backstory Trump offered on the Oval Office steps. He said a wealthy friend wanted a Gulfstream jet but was blocked in Canada because the regulator supposedly favored Bombardier. According to Trump, Gulfstream spent “$60 million” over nine years trying to get certified in Canada, to no avail. He then claimed he threatened a tariff on Bombardier and “within two hours” the aircraft were cleared.

Reality, however, tells a different tale. Transport Canada granted certification to the Gulfstream G500 and G600 on 16 February and to the G700 and G800 a week later, on 23 February – a process that took 26 days, not a couple of hours. Moreover, the tariff Trump bragged about was never actually imposed.

Trump also recycled the familiar line that Canada “blocks our great American banks.” In truth, 16 U.S. banks operate in Canada under the Schedule II framework, a relationship that dates back to Citibank’s 1919 entry. The claim has no factual footing.

As the two nations stare each other down, the numbers are worth a glance. The U.S. Trade Representative estimates the 2025 goods deficit with Canada at about $48.3 billion – a drop of 21 % from the previous year – offset by a $27.7 billion surplus in services, leaving a net gap of roughly $21 billion. That is far from the “$60‑$100 billion” loss Trump cited.

For now, both sides seem poised to keep the pressure on, with tariffs ready to roll over the weekend. Whether the rhetoric will translate into more concrete policy moves remains to be seen, but the story of Bombardier, Gulfstream and a Twitter‑style tirade is certainly adding extra turbulence to an already strained relationship.