President Donald Trump has threatened to stop Bombardier from selling aircraft in the United States unless the Canadian company builds them on American soil, putting a brand associated with some of the world’s best-known entertainers at the center of his widening trade dispute with Canada. Some of the most prominent names linked to the aircraft manufacturer include Kylie Jenner, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Dwayne Johnson, and Kid Rock, according to CelebPlanes.com. Trump’s warning comes as Canadian retaliatory tariffs take effect, opening another front in a confrontation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that has already disrupted trade across the border.
Any restriction could affect future purchases and deliveries for wealthy buyers, while also affecting Bombardier employees, operators and a U.S. supply chain spanning thousands of companies. Newsweek reached out to Bombardier via a contact form on its website and the White House via email for comment. Bombardier aircraft have become status symbols for celebrities, but the company also has an extensive industrial footprint in the U.S.
Bombardier says its U.S. supply chain includes about 2,800 companies across 47 states, and the manufacturer spends more than $2.5 billion with suppliers each year. That gives Trump’s demand potential consequences for American aerospace businesses and wealthy jet users. Celebrity Private Jet Tracker and Celebplanes associate the following public figures with Bombardier models using publicly available aviation records and flight data.
Newsweek reached out to representatives for the celebrities listed above for comment via email. Bombardier’s Global 7500, which Celebplanes associates with Jenner, Johnson, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z, has a listed range of 7,700 nautical miles, room for up to 19 passengers and an indicative new price of $78 million before customization. Celebrity Private Jet Tracker also links Damon to a Global 7500, Cruise to a Challenger 350 and Kid Rock to a Challenger 600.
Diller, John, Cuban and Wahlberg are listed in connection with Global Express aircraft. The database estimates model prices ranging from about $4 million for some Challenger 600 jets to as much as $75 million for a Global 7500, depending on an aircraft’s age, condition and equipment. These trackers associate these jets with the celebrities, although they do not confirm who legally owns the aircraft.
Monday’s warning revived a confrontation from January, when the president threatened to decertify Canadian-built aircraft and impose a 50 percent tariff unless Canadian regulators approved business jets made by U.S. rival Gulfstream. Neither action took effect, and Canada certified several Gulfstream models the following month. No formal ban had been announced alongside the latest post, leaving unanswered how such a restriction would be imposed or whether it would cover existing aircraft, maintenance operations and future deliveries.
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