Boeing deliveries to China appear to have resumed, after flight tracking data showed that one 737 MAX aircraft had arrived at the manufacturer’s aircraft completion and delivery centre near Shanghai.
In April, at least three 737 MAX aircraft were flown back to the US from the completion and delivery centre, after trade tensions between the US and China continued to escalate. The Zhoushan facility, which is a joint venture with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is where 737 MAX aircraft are fitted with interiors and have airline liveries for Chinese customers sprayed.
Boeing said during its first quarter earnings call that customers in China had indicated that they would not take the delivery of new aircraft from the manufacturer, given the economic uncertainty.
Data from AirNav Radar now shows that the aircraft departed Grant County International Airport outside of Seattle on June 4, 2025, landing at Boeing’s Seattle facility.
Boeing has used Grant County airport to store parked 737 MAX jets, after airlines globally were forced top ground MAX fleets after two fatal crashes connected to a component in the aircraft.
The aircraft then departed Seattle two days later stopping in both Hawaii and Guam top refuel, arriving at the Zhoushan facility on June 9, 2025. The first aircraft to return to the US in April – painted in a Xiamen Airlines livery – is the same aircraft that has now returned to China.
Airline Economics has contacted Boeing for comment.
This delivery is an indication of improving trade relations between Beijing and Washington, after it was reported last month that Boeing would restart deliveries to China in June after an import ban imposed by China amid a heightening US-led trade war had reportedly been lifted. In May a trade agreement was struck between China and the US, meaning that “reciprocal” tariffs between both countries were be cut from 125% to 10%. The US′ 20% duties on Chinese imports relating to fentanyl will remain in place, meaning total tariffs on China stand at 30%.
Last year, Boeing stated in a commercial market outlook, that China is expected to more than double its commercial airplane fleet by 2043, noting that the country’s commercial fleet will grow by 4.1% annually – from 4,345 to 9,740 planes – within the next 20 years.
A new round of trade discussions between the US and China will commence in London on June 9, 2025.