Boeing Returns to China: Beijing Lifts Ban on US Aircraft

China has officially allowed its airlines to resume deliveries of Boeing aircraft from the United States. The decision was made after the world’s two leading economies reached an interim trade agreement to reduce tariffs.

According to Bloomberg, on May 12 in Geneva, representatives of the United States and China agreed on a 90-day reduction in mutual tariffs, which was an impetus for the easing of restrictions in sensitive sectors, in particular, in the aviation sector. Immediately after this agreement, Chinese officials began notifying national airlines and relevant government agencies about the permission to resume imports of Boeing aircraft manufactured in the United States.

Before that, supplies were effectively blocked due to trade tensions between the countries. In April, three aircraft that were waiting for transfer at Boeing’s Chinese center were returned to the United States. The company said that due to the introduction of high tariffs, Chinese customers are refusing to accept new aircraft, and therefore Boeing began to consider the possibility of reselling dozens of manufactured aircraft to other customers.

The Chinese market is strategically important for Boeing, as it accounts for about 10% of the company's global commercial order portfolio. In 2025, the American aircraft manufacturer planned to deliver 50 new aircraft to Chinese airlines, 41 of which are already in the production or preparation for assembly stage.

Particular attention is paid to the 737 MAX model, which is actively operated in Asia. It is expected that 25 of the 30 aircraft of this series, manufactured by 2023, but not yet transferred to customers, will be delivered to Chinese carriers in the near future.

In addition, the Chinese government has exempted certain aerospace components from increased tariffs, including engines, landing gear and other critical parts. This decision creates the prerequisites for the normalization of aviation equipment supplies between the United States and China and may positively affect the dynamics of the recovery of the global air transportation market.