U.S. ban on Bombardier sales could severely disrupt American aerospace, analyst says

Analysts say a threatened U.S. ban on Bombardier business-jet sales would damage the American aerospace industry as well as Canada’s.

In a series of social media posts about Canada on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would bar the Montreal-based aircraft maker from doing business south of the border unless it moved its operations to the United States.

Bombardier and analysts say the company already employs about 3,500 people in Kansas, Texas, California and other states. Its defence segment is headquartered in Wichita, Kan. The company says its supply chain includes about 2,800 American companies in 47 states, and that every aircraft has at least 40 per cent U.S. content.

National Bank analyst Cameron Doerksen said Bombardier’s substantial U.S. customer base means a sales ban would be “massively disruptive” for American jet-fleet operators waiting for deliveries.

Trump’s threat came hours before Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect shortly after midnight Tuesday, responding to the 50 per cent duties Washington imposed on Canada last month.