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By Karl Sinclair

At its peak, there were 140 Boeing 737 MAXes stored across Washington state destined for China. The number is now around 40, and with the tariff war, there is no telling when these will be delivered. Photo in March 2023 in Moses Lake (WA) by Scott Hamilton.

April 21, 2025, © Leeham News: Just when it looked like The Boeing Company (BA) had a sensible recovery plan and leadership that understood the tasks at hand, along came that pocket of turbulent air, which upset a smooth flight.

Boeing announces its 1Q2025 financial numbers on Wednesday. What had been hoped to be a positive report is now overshadowed by the impact of worldwide tariffs, announced by President Donald Trump on April 2.

The latest industry news, which seems to change daily, is that the Trump Administration has levied a 245% tariff on China, after China had retaliated against tariffs of 145%. Last week, Beijing reportedly told its airlines to refuse delivery of all Boeing products.

In the interim, Trump walked back exorbitant tariff rates applied to nearly 100 nations, calculated with a flawed theory, focusing instead on hitting China hard and retaining a blanket 10% rate on the rest of the world.

There was a further retreat as tariffs on electronics were removed on iPhones and tablets, as pressures in the bond market forced a move.

Nothing in the aviation industry operates in a vacuum, as corporations begin to circle the wagons.

Delta Air Lines will refuse to take any Airbus aircraft that are tariffed, according to CEO Ed Bastian.  Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said the same, regarding Boeing aircraft.

Howmet Aerospace, a Tier 1 supplier, is preparing to use “force majeure,” a legal term referring to an unexpected event which prevents a party from fulfilling contractual obligations, to get out of delivering parts.

According to equity research firm Bernstein, other suppliers are expected to invoke the clause as needed.

This is only 17 days after Trump’s much-heralded “Liberation Day.”