Airbus Warns Tariffs Threaten US Aircraft Production

Airbus Americas says U.S. tariffs on aircraft parts imported from Mexico and Canada may impede domestic aircraft production.

According to Mexico Business News, Airbus Americas CEO Robin Hayes wrote a letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative warning tariffs could increase manufacturing and delivery costs in the United States.

The warning comes as the industry faces rising global demand, with Airbus forecasting a need for 43,420 new aircraft over the next 20 years. To meet this demand, Airbus says both itself and Boeing are increasing production rate.

The company said this expansion positions its Mobile, Alabama, facility to become the fourth-largest commercial aircraft manufacturing site globally, but stated this growth “would not be possible without tariff-free treatment for aerospace imports.”

Hayes urged U.S. authorities to protect the integrated North American aerospace supply chain built over decades. In a previous statement prior to tariffs taking effect, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said the company might prioritize deliveries to non-U.S. customers if tariffs were to raise prices for its American clients.

The concerns reflect broader industry sentiment that tariffs could upend a free trade system that has created a massive export surplus for the U.S. aerospace sector. In April, tariffs on aviation components were projected to add millions of dollars to the cost of an airliner