Regional Industry & News

‘I want more planes built in Wichita:’ Local leaders push back on President Trump’s call to ban Bombardier’s U.S. sales

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Wichita is now at the center of President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, with Trump threatening to ban Bombardier sales in the United States.

Kansas lawmakers at all levels are working to make sure these jobs stay in Wichita, and if moves are made to bring more jobs to the U.S., Wichita is where they come.

Economic experts said on Tuesday that banning Bombardier from the U.S. market isn’t going to happen.

Bombardier’s U.S. defense headquarters is in Wichita, and it employs more than 1,000. But Dr. Larry Straub with Newman University’s school of business said the president’s latest comments should not be a cause for panic.

“(Trump) always throws out these outlandish things and tends to moderate back off of them as time goes,” Straub said. “We’ll see if that happens on this. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t temper this a little bit when he starts to figure out what this logistically and actually means.”

Straub said jobs in Wichita should be safe, especially with important defense work being done here.

“A lot of their work, or at least a decent percentage of their work, at least are defense-oriented contracts which tend to be longer-range contracts,” Straub said. “I don’t think (Trump) can just stop those and reneg on them.”

Wichita’s City Council is also getting involved.

Councilmember Dalton Glasscock, who represents the area where Bombardier’s facilities are located, said he hasn’t heard from the company but has been in contact with federal partners.

“I think everybody is trying to figure out maybe the direction,” Glasscock said. “I’m committed that I want more planes built in America; I want more planes built in Wichita.

“Wichita is already the head of Bombardier’s U.S. defense operation, and so we’re perfectly equipped that if the objective is to bring more jobs to America, we hope we bring those to Wichita.”