Canada approves all Gulfstream jets, ‘backing down’ to Trump’s tariff threats
Facing a 50% tariff threat on all Canadian-made aircraft, Canada's regulator certified the final two Gulfstream models.
In a significant concession to US trade pressure, Canada's aviation regulator, Transport Canada, has certified the remaining Gulfstream private jet models, the GVIII-700 and GVIII-800, completing the full slate of approvals demanded by US President Donald Trump. The move, announced on Monday, effectively ends a trade dispute that began on January 29th when Trump accused Canada of 'wrongfully, illegally' refusing certification and threatened to retaliate by decertifying all Canadian-made aircraft and imposing a 50% tariff, a direct threat to aerospace giant Bombardier. The White House immediately claimed victory, framing the decision as a result of Trump's aggressive negotiation tactics.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy celebrated the outcome on social media, stating Canada's transport department 'backed down' and calling it 'the Art of the Deal in real time' and a 'HUGE win for US manufacturing.' The two newly certified models are the largest business aircraft made by Gulfstream, a unit of General Dynamics. This follows Canada's earlier approval on February 15th of the other two models Trump mentioned, the GVII-G500 and GVII-G600. The episode underscores the continued use of high-stakes tariff threats in international trade relations and marks a clear win for the Trump administration's 'America First' policy, while raising questions about Canada's leverage in future bilateral disputes.
- Trump threatened a 50% tariff on all Canadian-made aircraft on January 29th if Gulfstream jets weren't certified.
- Transport Canada certified the final two models, the GVIII-700 and GVIII-800, on Monday, completing the set.
- US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it 'the Art of the Deal in real time' and a 'HUGE win.'
Why It Matters
Demonstrates the potency of tariff threats in trade disputes and signals potential vulnerability for Canadian aerospace.