The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has issued a statement criticizing reported threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to decertify Canadian-made aircraft and impose a 50% import tariff on aircraft built in Canada. The union argues that such measures would disrupt the North American aerospace industry and put thousands of jobs at risk in both countries.
According to IAM, any move to introduce tariffs or interfere with certification processes would have significant consequences for workers in both Canada and the United States due to the integrated nature of their aerospace sectors. The manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft in North America function as a single ecosystem, with companies relying on cross-border supply chains.
Bombardier, an aviation company based in Greater Montréal, employs about 3,000 people in the United States and works with nearly 2,800 U.S.-based suppliers. Many components used in Canadian-built aircraft are manufactured in the U.S., highlighting the interconnectedness of the two countries’ industries.
IAM stated that using aircraft certification as a political tool could lead to legal disputes and create instability for workers, investors, and regional economies. The union warned that politicizing certification would undermine international safety standards.
“The aerospace industries in Canada and the United States are deeply interconnected,” said IAM Canadian General Vice President David Chartrand. “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.”
The union emphasized that cooperation between Canada and the United States has long supported innovation and safety oversight within aerospace manufacturing.
“The IAM Union represents hundreds of thousands of members in the aerospace, defense, and other manufacturing sectors in both the U.S. and Canada,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Many IAM members work at companies that rely heavily on integrated supply chains between the U.S. and Canada. Any attack on this partnership will result in job losses, increased prices, and a variety of other negative impacts. The Trump administration should focus on closing the loopholes that continue to fuel the offshoring of aerospace, manufacturing, and other critical jobs across North America.”
IAM called for decision-makers to keep politics separate from aviation safety issues to protect workers who depend on stable certification systems.
The IAM Union is one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions representing around 600,000 active and retired members across various sectors including aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad transit, healthcare, automotive industries throughout the United States and Canada.
