Tariff war and aviation: A globalised industry braces for disruption; Boeing's troubles set to deepen

The past few days saw two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft meant for Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines return from China to Boeing's production hub in Seattle. Boeing jets flying in and out of Seattle is a regular affair, but these flights were anything but routine. For they represented the tariff war flying right in face of the aviation industry, which is among the most globalised and internationally integrated sectors. With heavy tariffs imposed by the US on China and Beijing returning the favour, the effective price of the aircraft for Chinese carriers would have skyrocketed. Besides, there have been reports that…