Boeing ready to resell jets as tariffs hit China trade

Boeing is looking to resell potentially dozens of planes locked out of China by tariffs after repatriating a third jet to the United States rather than store it without willing buyers.

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The move to prevent a repeat of the costly build-up of undelivered jets seen during past fluctuations in Chinese imports comes as the planemakerredoubles efforts to save cash and pay off debt by selling off part of its services business.

Boeing took the rare step of publicly flagging the potential aircraft sale during an analyst call on Wednesday, saying there would be no shortage of buyers in a tight jet market.

"Customers are calling, asking for additional airplanes," CFO Brian West said. Such negotiations are usually kept tightly under wraps.

"Due to the tariffs, many of our customers in China have indicated that they will not take delivery," CEO Kelly Ortberg said.

Industry sources said the comments were seen as a message to Beijing and Washington that the tariff war between the world's two largest economies would be hugely costly as airlines scramble for capacity and Boeing recovers from multiple crises.

US President Donald Trump this month raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China imposed a 125% tariff on US goods.

However, West cautioned that things could change quickly.