Boeing jet returns to US from China, a victim of Trump’s tariff war

A Boeing jet intended for use by a Chinese airline landed back at the planemaker’s U.S. production hub on Sunday, a victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by President Donald Trump in his global trade offensive.

A Boeing jet intended for use by a Chinese airline landed back at the planemaker’s U.S. production hub on Saturday, a victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by President Donald Trump in his global trade offensive. The 737 MAX, which was meant for China’s Xiamen Airlines, landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field at 6:11 p.m., according to a Reuters witness. It was painted with Xiamen livery. The jet, which made refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii on its 5,000-mile (8,000-km) return journey, was one of several 737 MAX jets waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center for final work and delivery to a Chinese carrier. Trump this month raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China has imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. goods. A Chinese airline taking delivery of a Boeing jet could be crippled by the tariffs, given that a new 737 MAX has a market value of around $55 million, according to IBA, an aviation consultancy. It is not clear which party made the decision for the aircraft to return to the U.S. Boeing did not immediately respond to request for comment. Xiamen did not respond to request for comment. The return of the 737 MAX, Boeing’s best-selling model, is the latest sign of disruption to new aircraft deliveries from a breakdown in the aerospace industry’s decades-old duty-free status.