Senators Urge Trump to Reconsider Bombardier Sales Ban

Two senators have urged President Donald Trump to rethink his threat to ban aircraft sales by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier in the United States.

"NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!" Trump wrote in a social media post Monday. "If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a ‘piggybank.’"

The dispute follows the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations on Aug. 21, which led Trump and his administration to launch a series of tariffs and aggressive public statements directed at Canada. Ottawa retaliated Tuesday by introducing tit-for-tat tariffs targeting approximately $20 billion in American imports.

Responding to Trump’s remarks about Bombardier, the private jet maker pointed out that key components for its aircraft, including wings and engines, are already manufactured in the U.S. and emphasized its heavy reliance on an American supply network.

Bombardier said that the U.S. aerospace sector remains a "clear winner on trade and exports" and the company highlighted that it supports tens of thousands of jobs directly and through its broad supplier network.

Bombardier’s American footprint

Bombardier is one of Canada's most historic manufacturers. Established by Quebec inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier in the 1930s as a snowmobile maker, the company expanded into rail car manufacturing and commercial aviation over the decades before restructuring to focus exclusively on business jets.

Its current supply chain involves roughly 2,800 U.S. businesses across 47 states. Wings for its business aircraft are manufactured in Texas, while flight control systems are built near Los Angeles. Additionally, Honeywell produces engines for Bombardier's Challenger jets in Phoenix, and Iowa-based Collins Aerospace manufactures avionics and communication systems in Cedar Rapids.

"Bombardier values its great partnership with American companies and its U.S. employees. Our plan is to continue to invest in our people, our customers, and the communities in which we operate across the country," the company said.

The threat has sparked concern in Kansas, a Republican stronghold that has held both U.S. Senate seats for a century and voted for Trump by roughly 16 percentage points in 2024. Both of the state's senators confirmed they contacted the White House to address the potential economic fallout for local workers.

"I reached out to the Trump administration to make certain the President is aware of the significant contributions of Bombardier to Kansas and the importance of its presence in Wichita to many Kansas workers at Bombardier and in the Bombardier supply chain," Sen. Jerry Moran wrote in a social media post, adding that he would work to maintain the manufacturer's presence in the state.

Sen. Roger Marshall voiced the same support in a social media post Tuesday, saying "I’m going to fight to keep Bombardier’s over 1,200 Kansas jobs. I’ve already taken that concern inside the Oval Office."

The trade friction comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans earlier this year to acquire six airborne early-warning radar aircraft built by Sweden’s Saab in partnership with Bombardier, bypassing American defense contractors. The Saab system utilizes Bombardier’s Global 6500 aircraft platform and contains 20% U.S.-made components. Canada selected the platform over Boeing’s E-7A Wedgetail and L3Harris’s Aeris X.

Canada is also reviewing its planned purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets, while Saab has pitched building its Gripen fighter jet locally within Canada.