The ongoing trade dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to have major consequences for Boeing. Chinese airlines have started returning brand new Boeing aircraft to the United States, with one 737 MAX jet recently arriving at Boeing’s Seattle production facility, as reported by the media.
The returns occurred soon after China instructed its airlines to halt further Boeing deliveries, a reaction to the U.S. imposing a 145% tariff on Chinese imports, according to Bloomberg News. It has been confirmed three Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, initially being prepared at Boeing’s Zhoushan delivery center for two major Chinese carriers, were redirected back to the U.S.
The 737 MAX 8's landed in the U.S. territory of Guam on Monday, after leaving Boeing's Zhoushan completion center near Shanghai. Guam is one of the stops such flights make on the 5,000-mile (8,000-km) journey across the Pacific between Boeing's U.S. production hub in Seattle and the Zhoushan completion center, where planes are ferried by Boeing for final work and delivery to a Chinese carrier.
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| XIAMEN AIRLINES BOEING 737-85C B-5658 (MSN 38395) |
Over the weekend a Boeing 737 MAX intended for Xiamen Airlines—still bearing the airline’s branding—landed at King County International Airport (BFI/KBFI) (commonly known as Boeing Feild) in Seattle. The jet was among several parked at Zhoushan for final touches before handover to the Chinese airline.
According to the media, China’s delivery suspension has impacted internal operations as well. A local aircraft leasing company reported that a Chinese airline pulled out of its commitment to receive a 737 MAX, forcing the lessor to seek other buyers for the completed plane.
Industry experts have said that many airline CEOs are likely to delay taking delivery of Boeing jets to sidestep the hefty U.S.-China tariff burden, which could eventually impact the operational planning of Chinese carriers. The ongoing trade dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to have major consequences for Boeing. The U.S. aerospace giant, once positioned to challenge Airbus’ stronghold in China, now faces a serious blow to its ambitions.
Data shows that Boeing has delivered 18 aircraft to nine Chinese airlines in 2025. The country’s three major carriers—Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines—have placed future orders for 45, 53, and 81 aircraft respectively, expected between 2025 and 2027.
Boeing had only recently begun recovering from a five-year halt on 737 MAX imports to China, originally imposed in 2019 following two tragic crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that raised global safety concerns about the aircraft model.
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