Boeing 737 MAX aircraft returned to the US by China

The fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX lies on a train, stuck between the production line and a strike at the Seattle factory in October 2024 - Photo: REUTERS

On April 18, Reuters reported that a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that had just been delivered to China was returned to the US. This is a sign that at least one Chinese airline has refused to accept the aircraft due to rising costs after Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods.

Geopolitics trumps trade

According to data from the Flightradar24 platform, the aircraft initially left Boeing's factory in Seattle (USA) and was transferred to the finishing plant in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China to install the interior, paint and prepare for delivery to the Chinese customer.

However, on the morning of April 18, the plane took off from Zhoushan, flew over Guam for a technical stop, and then continued its journey back to Seattle, indicating that the handover plan had been reversed.

On April 17, the aviation news site Air Current revealed that one of the four Boeing 737 MAXs parked in Zhoushan had been labeled "no need to hand over, will be returned to the US".

Geopolitics is overshadowing commercial deals, the site said, as an unnamed Chinese airline canceled plans to receive a Boeing 737 MAX through a domestic leasing company, leaving the completed aircraft to find a new buyer. And there are likely to be many more similar cases.

Bloomberg News on April 15 quoted informed sources as saying that the Beijing government has asked domestic airlines to stop receiving Boeing aircraft and stop buying aircraft components made in the US. This order was issued after Beijing announced a 125% tariff on US goods in response to Mr. Trump's tariff policy.

This is considered another heavy blow to Boeing in the world's second largest market, which accounted for a quarter of the company's output in 2018.

Boeing previously had to suspend deliveries to China after two serious accidents of the 737 MAX line, and only recently resumed deliveries.

According to Flightradar24 , at least four 737 MAX aircraft have been delivered to the Zhoushan factory in China. Three of them arrived last month, and the fourth just arrived this past week.

Gloomy Forecast for Boeing

Reuters on April 18 quoted an industry expert as saying that Boeing and its suppliers are planning to respond to the current situation. Boeing has not yet commented on the incident.

Boeing has been struggling with technical problems, strikes and regulatory pressure since early 2024. Despite a CEO change and restructuring, US-China tariff tensions could drag the company back into the "quagmire".

On April 19, the Global Times quoted Politico as saying that Boeing could become the "biggest victim" in this tariff war, because it depends heavily on the global supply chain and finds it difficult to raise prices to cover costs like its rival Airbus.

Accordingly, if China switches to buying Airbus or domestic aircraft, Boeing will lose its advantage in this potential market.

Experts say that although the suspension of deliveries does not cause great immediate damage, in the long term, the risk of losing the Chinese market is serious.

Boeing once predicted that by 2043, China's aircraft fleet size would double and surpass the US in terms of transport volume.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted a well-informed source saying that of the more than 760 undelivered orders that Boeing is holding, the majority are from Chinese customers.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/may-bay-boeing-737-max-bi-trung-quoc-tra-nguoc-ve-my-20250419162731235.htm