Special Edition: Trump Posts on Truth Social Threatening Big Tariffs

January 30th, 2026 | Special Edition

We recorded an emergency pod special edition about the Trump Truth Social post. You can listen to it here:

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President Donald Trump posted a dramatic statement on Truth Social that has sent ripples through the business aviation community. The post directly targets aircraft trade between the United States and Canada, marking the first time our industry has been explicitly named in the ongoing trade tensions.

What Trump Said

The President's statement addressed Canada's failure to certify Gulfstream's G500, G600, G700, and G800 aircraft, calling them "one of the greatest, most technologically advanced airplanes ever made." In response, Trump announced he is "decertifying" Bombardier Global Express aircraft and all Canadian-made aircraft. He further threatened a 50% tariff on any Canadian aircraft sold into the United States if the situation is not "immediately corrected."

The Certification Backstory

For context, the FAA certified the G500 in September 2018 and the G600 in June 2019. EASA (the European aviation authority) followed suit shortly after in both cases. Yet Transport Canada has not certified either aircraft in the six years since. The G700 and G800 are newer (certified by the FAA in March 2024 and April 2025, respectively), so there may be more grace period there.

Aviation regulators typically operate under a tripartite agreement where the FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada recognize each other's certification work and follow with their own approvals in a reasonable timeframe. EASA and the FAA have generally honored this arrangement. Canada's approach to Gulfstream appears to be an outlier.

It's worth noting this issue extends beyond Gulfstream. The Textron Citation Longitude, certified by the FAA in September 2019, also appears to lack Canadian certification. The same may be true for the Citation Latitude. So this could be described as a systematic pattern rather than a Gulfstream-specific dispute.

Is There a Legitimate Concern Here?

There are reasonable arguments on both sides. On one hand, the FAA granted Gulfstream a three-year exemption related to a fuel icing system issue, which Transport Canada may have viewed with skepticism. The Boeing Max saga also hasn't helped the FAA's reputation as a gold standard in certification. On the other hand, Bombardier has received billions in subsidies from the Canadian government over the years, and intentionally slowing safety certifications for trade purposes is a different matter entirely from subsidizing an industry.

The Bigger Picture

This move likely isn't just about Gulfstream. Canada recently made a deal to allow Chinese electric vehicle imports, which puts them at odds with a Trump administration focused heavily on protecting American manufacturing, particularly for auto workers in key states like Michigan. The Gulfstream certification issue may be one piece of a larger negotiating strategy to pressure Canada on multiple fronts.

For those familiar with Trump's negotiating style, this fits his established pattern: think big, use leverage, and start with an aggressive opening position before finding middle ground. If you've read (or listened to) "The Art of the Deal," nothing here should be surprising.

What This Means for Business Aviation

Unlike previous tariff disputes involving Brazil, Europe, and Mexico, where aviation eventually received exemptions, this time our industry is named directly. There's no sitting back and hoping it blows over.

The exposure is significant. Nearly 3,000 Bombardier aircraft operate in the United States. The supply chain runs deep: Texas handles wing assembly for Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney engines come from Canada, some Textron helicopters are manufactured there, and simulators are built there as well. Jet fuel supply from Canada could also become a factor if Canada retaliates.

The fractional operators may face the most immediate pressure. Companies like Flexjet and NetJets have delivery schedules that must keep moving regardless of tariff uncertainty. If this drags on, they cannot simply pause operations the way a manufacturer might pause deliveries.

Our Take

Don't panic, but do pay attention. If history is any guide, the opening salvo is rarely where things land. We've seen Trump take aggressive positions and then pull back after negotiations. The Pilatus and Dassault situations showed us that manufacturers will pause deliveries and wait for resolution rather than absorb massive tariffs.

For aircraft operators, it's worth understanding your exposure to the Canadian supply chain. And for everyone in business aviation, it's time to watch developments closely.

This situation could be resolved by the time you read this, or it could drag on for months. Either way, business aviation is now part of the conversation, and we'll be monitoring it closely.

Stay informed,

Preston Holland & Jessie Naor

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Jessie’s Links:
Private Aviation Safety Alliance
FlyVizor
LinkedIn

Preston’s Links:
Prestige Aircraft Finance
Private Jet Insider (Newsletter)
LinkedIn
X (Formerly Known as Twitter)
FastJets