The Blubber

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that China has backed out of a significant Boeing deal, following a news report that Beijing had instructed its airlines to stop taking delivery of aircraft from the American aerospace manufacturer.

Trump’s remarks on social media came after Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities had asked domestic carriers to suspend not only jet deliveries from Boeing but also purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from U.S. suppliers.

“Interestingly, they just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will ‘not take possession’ of fully committed to aircraft,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, referencing China as tensions rise again between the world’s two largest economies.

He did not provide specifics about the Boeing agreement in question.

While Trump has imposed new tariffs on various countries since returning to the presidency this year, his most aggressive measures have been aimed at China — including a new round of tariffs that bring the total rate on many Chinese imports to 145%.

On Tuesday, he again criticized Beijing, claiming on Truth Social that China had failed to fulfill its obligations under a previous trade agreement that temporarily de-escalated the tariff conflict during his first term. He said China purchased only “a portion of what they agreed to buy” and accused the country of showing “zero respect” for the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Trump also pledged support for American farmers, saying in the same post that they are frequently “put on the Front Line with our adversaries, such as China,” during trade disputes.

Earlier this year, Trump introduced a sweeping new tariff policy that included a baseline 10% duty on many imports from U.S. trading partners and increased levies on goods from China. His administration recently exempted some technology products, including smartphones and laptops, from these new tariffs, as well as from the 125% rate specifically applied to Chinese imports.

However, many Chinese goods remain subject to the full 145% tariff, or at least to a prior 20% tariff imposed in connection with China’s alleged involvement in the fentanyl supply chain.

In response to the U.S. measures, China introduced its own counter-tariffs, initially focusing on American agricultural products and later expanding to a 125% tariff on a broad range of U.S. goods.

China’s Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to inquiries about the aircraft deliveries, and Boeing declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.