2 Boeing Jets Return to US From China During Ongoing Tariff War

It’s not clear who made the final decision to return the planes to the United States, as neither Boeing nor China’s Xiamen Airlines provided an explanation.

A Boeing 737 MAX plane, intended for China's Xiamen Airlines, arrives at King County International Airport after returning from China because of ongoing tariff disputes, in Seattle on April 19, 2025. Dan Catchpole/Reuters

Two Boeing planes intended for use by a Chinese airline landed back in the aerospace manufacturer’s U.S. production home on April 19, as tensions build between the United States and China over an ongoing tariff war.

Meant to be used by China’s Xiamen Airlines, the first 737 Max jet landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field just after 6 p.m. local time, photos showed. The plane, painted with Xiamen’s branding, made refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii on its roughly 5,000-mile journey back to the United States.