Boeing 737 reportedly rejected overseas

Boeing jet returns to U.S. from China

Over the weekend, a Boeing 737 Max reportedly returned to King County International Airport instead of reaching its intended destination with China’s Xiamen Airlines. The aircraft already crossed the Pacific, according to media reports, before being redirected to Boeing Field in Seattle.

SEATTLE - A growing number of Washington exporters are pulling their products back from overseas markets as international trade deals collapse, raising concerns about the long-term impact of tariffs — especially on major manufacturers like Boeing.

What we know:

FOX 13 visited King County International Airport and spotted a plane marked Xiamen Air that matched the description of the returned aircraft.

The plane has drawn international attention. A Reuters report over Easter weekend described the 737 as a "victim of Trump’s tariff war," calling it "the latest sign of disruption to new aircraft deliveries."

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, who was in Seattle this week, spoke to the impact these tariffs could have on America’s aerospace industry, and more locally Washington’s economy.

"Being one of the most trade-dependent states in the United States, we’ve always been concerned about the impact to manufacturing, particularly aviation," said Cantwell.

She emphasized the broader stakes, pointing to a global demand for new aircraft.

"There is a market now for 40,000 planes — so, a huge opportunity to chase," she said. "Our challenge is here: we want the United States to be able to chase that effectively. That represents a lot of jobs."

What they're saying:

Cantwell’s remarks came during a press conference at the Port of Seattle, where officials and local business leaders spoke out about a growing trend of canceled international sales — and the ripple effects across Washington’s export economy.

"We are also hearing stories of exporters who are pulling containers of their product out of our terminals and bringing them back home because they have had to cancel sales," said John McCarthy, Co-Chair of Northwest Seaport Alliance.

Among the impacted businesses is Access Lazer, based in Everett.

"Just two days ago, a $200,000 order from a Chinese customer was placed on hold and is likely to be canceled," said Gordon Bluechel, Access Lazer CEO. "Prolonged trade tensions could effectively lock us out of the Chinese market."

Featured

China halts Boeing jet orders after Trump slaps 145% tariffs on goods

article

China halts Boeing jet orders after Trump slaps 145% tariffs on goods

Boeing has delivered aircraft to multiple Chinese airlines this year, but the airline companies were told not to accept any more deliveries.

The Washington Wine Commission also shared concerns, stating their efforts to expand in Asian markets — particularly South Korea and Japan — are now on hold. Commission officials also noted that business with Canada, once Washington’s top wine export market, has virtually disappeared.

"Canada, our number one export market, literally evaporated — disappeared overnight," said Deputy Director, Chris Stone. "The Canadian government mandated that all U.S. alcohol be removed from shelves. You can’t even buy it if you wanted to."

As of Sunday evening, Boeing has not confirmed reports regarding the alleged returned aircraft. FOX 13 has reached out to the company for comment and is awaiting a response.