The president of the United States, Donald Trump, forcefully escalated trade tensions with Canada by announcing his intention to impose 50% tariffs on all aircraft manufactured in Canada and sold in the U.S. market, in response to an "illegal and unjustified" refusal by Ottawa to certify aircraft from U.S. company Gulfstream Aerospace.
According to Trump's explanation, the Canadian government has deliberately blocked the certification of several key Gulfstream models (the G500, G600, G700, and G800) through a regulatory process that functions as a covert trade barrier.
This situation, the president asserted, prevents one of the most advanced aerospace companies in the United States from competing on equal terms within the Canadian market.
In a message posted on his social network Truth Social, Trump also announced that his administration will move toward the "de-certification" of aircraft manufactured in Canada, explicitly mentioning the Global Express family from Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. If implemented, the measure would prevent these aircraft from operating or being sold in the United States until Canada grants full certification to Gulfstream's models.
"Canada is effectively banning the sale of Gulfstream products through this same certification process," Trump stated. "If this situation is not corrected immediately, the United States will impose a 50% tariff on any aircraft sold in our country."
Although the technical details of the "de-certification" have not yet been fully clarified, the president made it clear that the objective is to restore trade fairness. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for aircraft certification in the United States and is led by an official appointed by Trump, would be the body in charge of implementing any regulatory change.
The measure comes at a particularly sensitive time for Canada, now under the leadership of socialist Prime Minister Mark Carney, who faces growing pressure from Washington on several fronts, including trade disputes, strategic differences in the Arctic, and Ottawa's economic relationship with China.
