A Boeing 737 MAX landed in China on Monday, signaling the U.S. planemaker’s resumption of deliveries to Chinese customers amid eased tariffs between Beijing and Washington.
The aircraft, painted in Xiamen Airlines livery, arrived at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center near Shanghai after departing Seattle on Saturday with refueling stops in Hawaii and Guam.
Boeing had halted deliveries to China in April as the two largest economies increased tariffs on each other but announced at the end of May that deliveries would resume in June following a temporary 90-day tariff reduction. Tracking data showed the plane had been ferried to Zhoushan in March but returned to the U.S. in mid-April when Chinese airlines stopped accepting new Boeing planes.
China accounts for about 10% of Boeing’s commercial backlog and remains a critical and expanding aviation market. Boeing repatriated at least three 737 MAX jets from Zhoushan to the United States in April, including the one that arrived Monday.
Previously, Boeing had planned to deliver 50 jets to Chinese carriers this year, with 41 either in production or pre-built. The company had sought to resell some aircraft due to halted deliveries but had not sent planes to other markets.
Beijing has not explained the delivery suspension but acknowledged the impact of U.S. tariffs on Chinese airlines and Boeing. Representatives from China and the United States are scheduled to meet in London on Monday to discuss a trade deal.
