Neither Boeing nor China’s Xiamen Airlines provided an explanation, so it is not clear who made the final decision to return the 737 Max to the US.
The Boeing plane, intended for use by Chinese airlines, returned to the aerospace manufacturer’s US-produced home on April 19th.
Intent on being used by Chinese Xiamen Airlines, the 737 Max Jet landed in Boeing Field in Seattle just after 6pm local time, photos show.
The plane painted in Xiamen branding was one of many 737 Max Jets waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan Completion Center and for delivery to Chinese airlines. It stopped refueling in Guam and Hawaii on a roughly 5,000-mile journey to the US.
President Donald Trump has raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, causing a 125% retaliation from China on US goods.
According to the IBA of the Aviation Consultant Group, the new tariffs could significantly affect Chinese airlines delivering Boeing Jets of about $55 million.
Neither Boeing nor Xiamen have explained it, so it is not clear who made the final decision to bring the 737 Max back to the US.
The 737 Max, which remains a Boeing bestselling model, has been involved in multiple safety accidents as two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed all residents on board.
In 2024, the 737’s largest door panel tore Alaska Airlines’ flights shortly after takeoff, urging the Federal Aviation Administration to increase Boeing’s oversight.
Saturday’s return of the 737 Max, targeting Xiamen, is a sign of disruption in the delivery of new aircraft after the industry has enjoyed decades of tax-free status.
The ongoing tariff war is also as Boeing faces nearly five years of import freeze on the 737 Max Jet.
Industry analysts say the rapidly changing tariff disruption could leave many aircraft delivery on the frontier. This is because CEOs of some airlines suggest that they postpone jet delivery rather than paying their duties.
In a report last week, China reported that it could be ordering airlines to stop delivering more Boeing Jets, but shares in the US plane maker fell 2.5% on April 15.
The tariff war between the US and China caught Boeing in the centre. Continuing negotiations leave little certainty about where the tariff caps imposed by either country are.
“We proposed that we could enter into a contract with China to end the tariff war over the next three or four weeks,” the president said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
