China stares down Boeing parts shortage while Comac stockpiles

BEIJING – China is hunkering down for a trade war winter without American-made jets and aircraft parts.

With China banning Boeing jets as part of its retaliation to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, local airlines now face the issue of repairing and maintaining hundreds of aircraft from the US manufacturer in their current fleets.

They also have to find new jets to make up for the Boeing shortfall, no small task given that Airbus’ production capacity is constrained and local manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) relies on US-made engines.

For now, airlines and leasing firms have built up a buffer of spare parts over the past couple of years – both from planemakers and from buying up older aircraft – that should help the industry weather the near-term need, people familiar with the matter said.

Comac has also stockpiled engines to build dozens of planes IN 2025, one of the people said, while Chinese government officials are considering asking Airbus to supply any new jets with an extra set of engines, other people familiar with the matter said.

Even if those engines may have been made by US companies or have US components, they would not be levied if they arrive attached to a plane from a French manufacturer, people familiar with Beijing’s thinking said, asking for anonymity to discuss private matters.

Representatives for Comac did not respond to a request for comment.

Yet, these are short-term fixes that underscore how aircraft represent a huge vulnerability for China’s economy, and an area where it is still highly reliant on US and Western industrial technology.

The weakness is such that some analysts on April 15 suggested the pause in deliveries may be more of a negotiating tactic.

“We would be surprised if the delay were extended, considering the importance