Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs and Moves to Decertify Bombardier Jets Amid Canada Certification Dispute

The U.S. president declared that the government will withdraw recognition of Bombardier's Global Express business jets and imposed a deadline for Canada to approve several Gulfstream models, threatening punitive tariffs if Ottawa does not comply. That ultimatum included a proposed 50% duty on any aircraft sold into the United States, a move that would touch both business and commercial airframes built in Canada. Flight tracking and fleet intelligence firms show the cross-border exposure is sizable: hundreds of Canadian-built aircraft operate to and from U.S. airports and dozens of Global Express jets are registered and flown in the United States. The announcement left regulators and owners facing immediate questions about how aircraft type approvals could be reversed for economic reasons and what that would mean for aircraft airworthiness, operations and insurance. International norms assign primary design authority to the country where a jet is designed, with other states typically validating that decision; regulators can, however, require additional data or withhold endorsement. The dispute follows broader trade frictions, with Canadian officials seeking to reduce dependence on the U.S. market amid retaliatory import measures. The Federal Aviation Administration is the long-standing authority for U.S. certifications, and how, or whether, it would implement a political directive remains unclear; historically, agencies have issued targeted exemptions when policy and regulatory processes diverge. The situation revives memories of past transatlantic certification disagreements that prompted tighter scrutiny of foreign approvals. For operators of affected types, immediate operational impacts could include altered maintenance oversight, recertification burdens, insurance re-rating and potential limits on U.S. flights if reciprocal validations are withdrawn. Aircraft manufacturers and supply chains could face rapid commercial fallout if tariffs are applied broadly, potentially reshaping procurement decisions and leasing arrangements. The episode spotlights the intersection of trade policy and technical aviation governance, where legal tools like tariffs can be used to pressure regulatory outcomes with real safety, financial and operational consequences for airlines and business jet operators.