The Commerce Department completed a national security investigation into imported commercial airplanes, jet engines, and parts, concluding that the United States’ dependence on overseas supply chains leads to national security vulnerabilities.
The probe, opened last year, cited risks tied to quality control and the potential for counterfeit components to enter aircraft production. These red flags go beyond abstract policy, with implications for the safety of the flying public and trust in the manufacturing sector.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has advised against immediate tariffs to address the concerns.
President Donald Trump called on his team to reach new agreements with trading partners to address how foreign imports affect the health of the domestic commercial aerospace industry. The president said that he could take unilateral action if agreements are not reached within six months.
“I concur with the Secretary’s finding that commercial aircraft, jet engines, and their associated parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump said in a July 9 proclamation.
“I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to enter into negotiations with trading partners to adjust the imports of commercial aircraft, jet engines, and their associated parts so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security of the United States.”
The Commerce Department report determined the U.S. aircraft industry “is too reliant on foreign supply chains, raising national security concerns,” the proclamation stated.
It also highlighted dangers posed by imported parts, such as quality-control sacrifices and counterfeiting risks.
“Competitive pressure from lower-cost foreign suppliers also forces United States firms to keep wages stagnant or limit hiring, making aircraft manufacturing jobs less appealing compared to other industries,” the proclamation stated.
Airplanes and parts have operated for decades under the tariff-free rules of the 1979 Civil Aircraft Agreement.
That regulation played a role in the U.S. sector holding a $75 billion annual trade surplus.
When tariffs on aviation goods were considered last year, Delta Air Lines and major trade groups predicted higher ticket prices, hampered supply chains, and potential impacts on aviation safety. Airbus Americas warned that tariffs could put the U.S. aerospace industry at risk.
