IAM Statement on Threats to Decertify Canadian Aircraft
Certification is about safety, not politics
Toronto, Ontario on January 29, 2026: The IAM Union (previously known as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – IAMAW) strongly condemns reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to decertify Canadian-made aircraft and impose 50% import tariffs on aircraft built in Canada. Such actions, if carried out, would cause serious disruption to the North American aerospace industry and put thousands of jobs at risk on both sides of the border.
Any decision to impose tariffs on Canadian aircraft or interfere with certification processes would have tremendous consequences not only for Canadian workers, but for American workers as well, due to the deeply integrated nature of the U.S. and Canadian aerospace sectors. Aerospace manufacturing and maintenance across North America operate as a single, interconnected ecosystem.
Bombardier, a global leader in aviation headquartered in Greater Montréal, Québec, specializing in designing, manufacturing, and servicing luxury business jets, alone employs approximately 3,000 workers in the United States, including in manufacturing and service centers, and relies on nearly 2,800 U.S.-based suppliers that employ thousands of American workers. Many of the components and systems installed on Canadian-built aircraft are manufactured in the United States. These aircraft, including business jets and civilian aircraft built in Canada, operate daily in U.S. airspace, supporting airlines, operators, and regional economies across the country.
Threats to decertify Canadian aircraft are unjustified and dangerous. Aircraft certification exists to ensure safety, not to serve as a political or economic weapon. Any attempt to revoke or cancel certifications for political reasons would almost certainly result in prolonged legal battles, creating uncertainty and instability that would directly threaten jobs, investment, and confidence in the aviation system across North America.
Politicizing aircraft certification would set a dangerous global precedent, undermining international safety standards and putting the integrity of the aviation system at risk.
David Chartrand, General Vice-President of the IAM in Canada, said: “The aerospace industries in Canada and the United States are deeply interconnected. Any attack on Canadian aircraft harms both Canadian and American workers alike. Aircraft certification must remain independent and grounded in safety, not politics. Politically motivated decertification would create instability, threaten thousands of jobs on both sides of the border, and undermine the integrity of the aviation system we all depend on.”
Canada and the United States have a long history of cooperation in aerospace manufacturing, safety oversight, and innovation. Undermining that partnership would harm workers, airlines, suppliers, and passengers alike.
The IAM calls on decision-makers to keep politics out of aviation safety and to protect the workers and industries that depend on stable, rules-based certification systems.
