After half a century of status quo in the globalized aeronautical market, the commercial conflict launched by Donald Trump shakes Airbus, who is preparing for the worst, but above all Boeing, his main American competitor.
What is the situation?
The situation is volatile “with uncertainties on final taxes and possible exemptions,” summarizes Airbus. Since March 12, a 25% customs surcharge has been applied to imports to the United States of aluminum and steel, bad aeronautics materials. All products (whose aircraft) imported from Europe must pay a 10% surcharge, which could increase to 20% after the 90 -day stay announced by the US president on April 9.
As American importance for its assembly plant in Mobile in Alabama, Airbus also exposed the customs duties applied in Canada and Mexico, where many aeronautical subcontractors are installed. But finally an exception was decided.
Since 1979, the aeronautical industry has been exempt from customs duties, which has allowed it to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic, “said Monday Olivier Andriès, managing director of Safran, who provides engines in Airbus and Boeing.” It was a victory administration and the first people who will suffer, are the American actors, “he said, he said some messages.
The agreement on the trade of civil aircraft, signed in 1979 in particular by the United States and the European Union within the framework of the GATT (General Agreement on Rates and Commerce, which gave birth to the WTO in 1995), provided the abolition “of all customs tasks and all other taxes of any type” on the team destined to be integrated into a civil reparation.
Do customs threaten Boeing more than Airbus?
“Boeing is much more exposed,” according to Leeham News and Analysis, American media specialized in the analysis of the aeronautical sector. The customs surcharge imposed by Trump exhibits Boeing at the risk of reprisals from many countries, while Airbus faces it only in the United States, Leeham argues.
More than half of Boeing’s deliveries refer to non-American customers during the 2022-2025 period, much more than Airbus deliveries to companies based in the United States (17% in 2024), Pascal Fabre, general director of the Alixpartners consulting company interviewed by AFP.
China has already ordered its airlines to suspend any reception of Boeing aircraft, but also that “stop any purchase of equipment and spare parts for airplanes from US companies.”
The general director of Ryanair, the first airline in Europe in number of passengers, also threatened Tuesday to delay the receptions of the aircraft ordered in Boeing.
With its assembly lines divided between Toulouse in France, Hamburg in Germany, Tianjin in China and Mobile in the United States, Airbus has more flexibility, especially for the A320 family, which represents most of its deliveries (88% in 2024), he adds.
Most of the airbus parts gathered on mobile devices come from Europe and could undergo customs tasks. But Airbus, whose command book is completed until the end of the decade, could choose to favor non -American companies.
Regarding Boeing, the American group had already weakened for years. Production problem, image fogged by accidents and a mass strike in 2024 weighted the accounts of the aircraft manufacturer. In 2024, the company suffered a net loss of $ 11.82 billion after a 2.2 billion deficit of the previous year.
What could be Europe’s response?
The European sector wishes to see the Boeing Airplanes assembled taxes, but not the components, because in these, the American aircraft manufacturer could benefit from the “tax inconvenience”: a mechanism that allows, for example, to be reimbursed for customs tasks paid in the parties imported from Europe to be mounted on an plane that is then sold out of the United States, explains a lead of the AFP sector.
Who will pay the additional cost?
It will be the American companies that import Airbus aircraft to pay the surcharges, they launched the Chief of Airbus. “Obviously, they do not like to be in this situation, so we see with them how to handle the situation,” said Guillaume Faury.
A few days before, Delta Airlines Chief Ed Bastian had said he had no intention of paying more for the Airbus from which he expects delivery this year.
Lawyers and commercials are working to mitigate the potential impact.
At the end of March 2025, Airbus would still deliver 902 aircraft to US companies, or more than 10% of its order book. Only those who are not gathered on mobile devices are subject to surcharge.
Source: BFM TV
