US Bombardier tariff threatens UK aerospace jobs

The controversial tax ruling is the result of a long-running dispute between Bombardier and Boeing, which has claimed that unfair state subsidies from the UK and Canada had helped Bombardier win a major deal to supply up to 125 of the jets to US airline Delta.

“The US values its relationships with Canada, but even our closest allies must play by the rules,” said US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The subsidisation of goods by foreign governments is something that the Trump Administration takes very seriously, and we will continue to evaluate and verify the accuracy of this preliminary determination.”

Although the jets have yet to be imported, an April 2016 press release announcing the Delta-Bombardier deal valued the contract in excess of $5 billion. According to a fact sheet issued by the US Department of Commerce, the country's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) force will require cash deposits in amounts equal to the preliminary subsidy rate "if and when Bombardier exports these planes to the United States."