In a recent interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump announced that China has agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft. This statement was made during a segment that aired on Thursday.
“He [Chinese President Xi Jinping] has agreed today to order 200 jets. That’s significant. Boeings,” Trump remarked in the interview with Fox News, referencing his discussions with the Chinese leader.
Industry analysts had anticipated that a substantial order for Boeing planes might emerge from Trump’s visit to China. However, expectations were set even higher, with Jefferies forecasting that the order could reach up to 500 aircraft. Accompanying Trump on this diplomatic mission were Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and other prominent executives from major U.S. companies.
It has been nearly ten years since Boeing secured a major order from China, which has been predominantly purchasing aircraft from Boeing’s key competitor, Airbus.
The specifics regarding which types of aircraft might be included in China’s order were not detailed by Trump. Nonetheless, industry experts speculated that the deal could involve a significant number of Boeing’s popular 737 Max models.
Neither Boeing nor the White House have provided immediate comments on the matter. In the wake of the announcement, Boeing’s stock experienced a nearly 4% decline during afternoon trading.
Ortberg said on a company earnings call last month that the U.S.-China summit could be a “meaningful opportunity for us” that could include an aircraft order.
“I’m not going to give you the number of airplanes, but it’s a big number,” he said.
