Although China has not confirmed the ban on Boeing planes in response to Trump’s tariffs on products from the country, a 737 MAX 8 took off on Saturday from the outskirts of Shanghai bound for the US.

The aircraft, still with the provisional registration N230BE, had flown to Boeing’s finishing center in Zhoushan, where it would receive the interior and paint job for its future customer.

But, by all indications, the jet is on its way back to Seattle. According to FlightRadar24, flight BOE736 arrived on the Pacific island of Guam, a technical stopover necessary to cover the long 8,000 km flight across the Pacific Ocean.

The return of the commercial jet is yet another chapter in the trade war initiated by President Donald Trump, who imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.

Boeing delivered a 737 MAX 8 to Air China from its completion center in Zhoushan in 2018 (Boeing)
Boeing delivered a 737 MAX 8 to Air China from its completion center in Zhoushan in 2018 (Boeing)

The Xi Jinping government responded with an additional 125% tariff, but there would officially be no restrictions on Boeing aircraft.

Bloomberg, however, cited sources as saying that Chinese airlines will not be able to receive any more jets from the US manufacturer or even purchase replacement components for their fleets.

According to Boeing’s website, there are 130 aircraft pending delivery to Chinese carriers, but the total could be higher due to leasing agreements with lessors.

Boeing has already had a four-year drought without orders from Chinese companies for its commercial aircraft