By Sharon Terlep

The trade war isn't just weighing on big importers, it's also punishing the country's biggest exporter: Boeing shares are down more than 6% in morning trading.

The U.S. had a trade surplus in 2024 of roughly $100 billion from all the aircraft that it makes and sends out to other countries. Boeing is the biggest chunk of that business.

Boeing builds its jets, bombers and satellites exclusively in the U.S. The jet maker isn't entirely immune. The aerospace industry would face higher costs of raw materials such as aluminum. In addition to a sprawling global supply chain, Boeing has a composite parts factory in Winnipeg, Canada. CEO Kelly Ortberg has previously said that tariffs on China could dent sales to that nation.

Boeing is also somewhat protected from retaliatory tariffs given that it is one of two companies -- along with European rival Airbus -- that sells commercial jetliners globally at a time when the world's airlines are clamoring for more planes. Boeing has a backlog of more than 6,000 airplanes, which amounts to more than a decades' worth of production. Airbus has an even longer backlog.

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March 04, 2025 12:24 ET (17:24 GMT)

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