China orders airlines to suspend Boeing jet deliveries amid trade war: Report

It was China that first grounded Boeing’s 737 MAX jets after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed nearly 350 people. China also suspended most orders and deliveries of the jet in 2019.

Boeing declined to comment.

The halt in deliveries to China marks yet another setback for the planemaker, which is navigating a slow recovery following a challenging year marked by a labour strike, enhanced regulatory scrutiny and persistent supply chain disruptions.

Beijing’s action follows its decision last week to hike levies on US imports to 125 per cent  in retaliation against US tariffs, which would significantly raise the cost of Boeing jets bound for Chinese carriers and potentially lead airlines to consider alternatives such as Airbus and domestic player COMAC.

Boeing’s shares have shed more than a third of their value since a mid-air door panel blowout on a brand-new MAX 9 jet last year, which triggered a fresh wave of challenges for the company.

The escalating tit-for-tat tariffs between the world’s two biggest economies risk bringing goods trade between the two countries to a standstill. That trade was valued at over US$650 billion in 2024.