By Paul Vieira
OTTAWA -- Canada on Friday approved some newer models of Gulfstream business jets for flying in domestic airspace, about three weeks after President Trump complained about regulatory delays and threatened economic repercussions for the country's aerospace sector unless rectified.
Transport Canada, in charge of aviation regulation, issued certificates that approved the operation of the Gulfstream G500 and G600 models in Canadian airspace. Two other newer Gulfstream models, the G700 and G800, are awaiting approval. A government official said Canadian regulators were discussing next steps with their counterparts at the Federal Aviation Administration.
A spokesperson for Gulfstream, a unit of General Dynamics, wasn't immediately available for comment.
This potentially marks a partial resolution of the latest trade row between Ottawa and Washington. Tension between the Trump administration and Ottawa has escalated since mid-January, coinciding with Prime Minister Mark Carney striking a trade pact with China focused on Chinese electric vehicles and Canadian agricultural products; and Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum that was widely interpreted as a rebuke of the White House's shift on trade and foreign policies.
Trump last month threatened to ground aircraft produced by Montréal-based Bombardier and levy a hefty 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft sold in the U.S. unless regulators in Ottawa certified recent models produced by Gulfstream. There are currently 2,678 Canadian-made Bombardier aircraft registered in the U.S., according to aviation-data provider Cirium.
A White House spokesperson didn't immediately return a request for comment.
The threat against Bombardier hit a nerve in central Canada and among senior policymakers. Bombardier is considered a crown jewel of Canada's aerospace industry, and has benefited from decades of government financial support -- due in part to its stature in Québec and the political heft that the province of Québec plays in Canadian politics. The company designs, builds and sells two families of business jets, under the Challenger and Global brands.
In a Jan. 29 Truth Social post, Trump accused Canada of "wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly" holding up regulatory approval for the Gulfstream G500, G600, G700 and G800 aircraft.
"Canada is effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through this very same certification process. If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America," Trump wrote.
Both the head of the Federal Aviation Administration and Bombardier's chief executive signaled in comments last week that a quick resolution to the U.S.-Canada row over Gulfstream was near.
Write to Paul Vieira at Paul.Vieira@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 20, 2026 21:15 ET (02:15 GMT)
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