China Sends Boeing’s $55M Jet Back to US, Threatening Future Sales

A single-aisle jet landed at Boeing Field after a 5,000-mile journey, including refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii. The jet had been waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center for final checks before handover, but rising duties turned the handover into a financial dead end. Earlier this month, the US increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, prompting China to retaliate with 125% duties on American goods. This has made the cost of a new 737 MAX, valued at nearly $55 million, well over twice that figure for Chinese buyers once extra charges are added. The return of the jet is a clear sign that the commercial aircraft’s long-standing duty-free status has been disrupted. Boeing had just resumed preparing 737 MAX deliveries to China after an almost five-year freeze.