Trump Threatens to Ban Bombardier from U.S. Market — 'Must Build Here, Stop Treating America Like a Piggybank'

President Donald Trump has escalated his trade war with Canada, threatening to ban Montreal-based aerospace giant Bombardier from selling its aircraft in the United States unless the company moves production south of the border. The ultimatum, delivered via Truth Social on Monday, comes just hours before Canada's retaliatory tariffs on roughly $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods are set to take effect at midnight.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark ultimatum to Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier: start building your planes in the United States, or lose access to the world's largest aviation market .

"NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES! Their products aren’t good enough!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "If they want our Market, they must build here, and stop treating America like a 'piggybank'" .

The president claimed that more than 50% of Bombardier's revenue comes from U.S. sales, arguing that the company "live[s] off American Buyers, American Companies, American Airports, and American Service" while Canada blocks American competitors like Gulfstream Aerospace from doing business north of the border .

A Growing Trade War

The threat against Bombardier is the latest salvo in an escalating trade conflict between the United States and Canada that has sent shockwaves through both economies .

Last month, trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa collapsed, with both sides accusing each other of attempting to impose last-minute changes to a potential deal. Shortly after, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion to $28 billion worth of Canadian goods, ranging from wine and cement to hockey sticks and dairy products .

Canada responded swiftly. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on roughly $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, set to take effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. . The Canadian measures are designed to match U.S. levies "dollar for dollar," targeting products such as steel, aluminum, appliances, agricultural equipment, and electronics .

Carney has struck a defiant tone, telling the Trump administration last week to "stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions" regarding trade talks .

Bombardier in the Crosshairs

Monday's threat is not the first time Trump has targeted Bombardier. In January, the president claimed he would decertify Bombardier Global Express business jets and impose a 50% tariff on all Canadian-made aircraft until Canada's regulator certified several models produced by U.S. rival Gulfstream . Neither action was ultimately taken, and Transport Canada certified the Gulfstream G500, G600, G700, and G800 in February .

Trump has acknowledged that his initial pressure on Bombardier was prompted by a wealthy friend who complained that Canada was blocking his purchase of a Gulfstream jet. The president said he intervened, and Gulfstream received Canadian certification within "two hours" .

Bombardier, for its part, already has a significant U.S. presence. The company operates a defense division with a factory in Kansas, where it prepares aircraft for special mission purposes . However, its primary manufacturing facilities remain in Quebec, where it recently announced plans to acquire a new factory from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to produce wings for its Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft . The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's latest threat .

Legal and Practical Hurdles

Legal experts have raised questions about whether Trump has the authority to unilaterally ban a foreign manufacturer's aircraft from U.S. markets. Certification of aircraft for sale in the United States falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration and is based on safety and airworthiness standards — not politics or trade policy .

The president's January threat to "decertify" Bombardier aircraft was never acted upon, and White House officials clarified at the time that any restriction would apply only to new aircraft, not the more than 5,000 Canadian-made planes already operating on U.S. flight registries .

A Midterm Issue

The trade war with Canada has unexpectedly become a significant issue in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, with Republican candidates in border states facing political blowback from Trump's tariffs . Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican in a state with deep economic ties to Canada, has acknowledged that tariffs on Canada are "terrible for Maine" and are making her re-election bid more difficult .

According to an Ipsos/Reuters poll, two-in-three Americans disapproved of Trump's recent executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America," and only 20% supported higher tariffs on Canada .

Political science professor Matthew Lebo of Western University noted that "some of the key states that have become battleground states are ones with really close trading relationships with Canada," including Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio .

This is a developing story. Bombardier has not yet responded to Trump's threat, and the White House has not specified how the president would enforce a sales ban .