US slaps 220 per cent duty on Canada’s Bombardier jets

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commerce Department says Canada unfairly subsidized Montreal-based aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and is calling for a nearly 220 per cent duty to be slapped on every Bombardier C Series plane imported into the United States.

The decision is a victory for Chicago-based aviation giant Boeing, which said Bombardier used the subsidies to sell its C Series jets at artificially low prices.

It also is likely to raise tensions between the United States and Canada, its No. 1 trading partner.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the U.S. values its relationships with Canada, but even the closest allies of the United States must play by the rules.