Potential New Tariff Regime Affecting Goods of Chinese Origin: We Need Your Import Data

March 4, 2026 by Leave a comment

If your company buys goods that are products of China, then you need to pay careful attention to the government’s latest investigation.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has opened a new factfinding investigation.  The investigation is examining the impact of revoking normal trade relations treatment for China. This would dramatically increase the tariffs paid by U.S. importers who are importing Chinese-origin goods. For the ASA Community, this could affect aircraft parts but it could also affect raw materials imported and used to produce aircraft parts in the United States.

Removing Normal Trade Relations (NTR)

“Normal trade relations” is the term of art that describes the trade relationship between the United States and its trading partners. This is also called “most-favored nation” status in the World Trade Organization (WTO) context.

There are currently four countries that do not have normal trade relations with the United States: Belarus, Cuba, North Korea and Russia.  Those four countries pay much higher base tariffs.  Currently, the United States imports relatively little from these four jurisdictions.   For example, in 2025 the U.S. imported $3.8 billion in goods from Russia, and in 2024 the U.S. imported $3.0 billion in goods from Russia.

Compare this to imports from China: In 2024 the United States imported $438.7 billion in goods from China.  That volume slipped to just $308.4 billion in 2025 due to US-China trade disputes, but that is still a very large volume of imports.  The slippage from 2024 to 2025 shows that duty rates can have significant impact on import volumes.

The People’s Republic of China was granted normal trade relations status in February 1980, pursuant to title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.).  In 2001, Public Law 106–286 (114 Stat. 880) was passed to make permanent the People’s Republic of China’s normal trade relations status.

The normal trade relations status made merchandise from the People’s Republic of China eligible for the duties set forth in column 1 of the HTSUS.  Column 2 is the column reserved for the four countries that do not enjoy normal trade relations with the United States.  For each tariff code, the column 2 duties are typically much higher.

The Effect of Removing NTR

If the United States revokes normal trade relations from China, then imports originating from China would be subject to the “column 2” duties.  China would become the fifth country added to the column list.

Column two of the HTSUS has higher duty rates, but what does that really mean?  Aircraft parts under HTSUS heading 8807 typically enjoy a zero percent base rate, but under column two they would be subject to a 27.5% duty rate.  Steel cotter pins are typically subject to a 3.8% duty rate but under column two they are subject to a 45% duty rate.  Aircraft jet engine parts are often admitted under a zero percent base rate, but under column two they would be subject to a 35% duty rate.  As you can see, moving China to column two dramatically increases the import duties that U.S. importers will pay.

Why Is This Happening?

In September, the House Appropriations Committee published a report that asked the USITC to investigate removing normal trade relations status from China.

Trade Enforcement Analysis.–The Committee directs the ITC to complete, no later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, an investigation and prospective economic analysis of revoking permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) treatment of all products of the PRC on the U.S. economy, U.S. industry, and product sourcing over a six-year period. The ITC is further directed to provide this report to the Committee within 30 days of completion. The report should include the results of the ITC’s investigation and analysis including detailed information, to the extent practicable, on U.S. trade, production, and prices in the industries that would be directly and most affected by the imposition of rates of duty in Column 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (19 U.S.C. 1202) on products from China. The report should also examine an alternative scenario where Congress revokes PNTR with a five-year phase-in of tariffs on a subset of national security products.

There is also a strong likelihood that this investigation is being pursued to strengthen the Administration’s bargaining position in negotiations with China. We want to provide data to the US government and protect the traditional aviation carve-outs without weakening either side’s bargaining position.

We Need Your Help

Here’s where you come in.  As an industry, we need to compile data to show what the effect of this sort of change would be on American businesses.  We know that some of our members are sourcing Chinese origin materials as raw materials or subcomponents to their aircraft parts.  It is important that we let the government know how this will affect our industry, so they can make an informed decision.

History also shows us that when the United States imposes sanctions that affect another country, like China, the other country may impose sanctions on goods from the United States.  This means that a trade war can adversely affect aircraft parts both on the supply side and on the international sales side.

Please let ASA know:

  • What volume of Chinese origin supply/materials are you sourcing?
  • What is the annual dollar value of Chinese origin supply/materials that are you sourcing?
  • What sorts materials are you sourcing from China?

We will need to file our responses with the government by 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time, on Monday, April 13, 2026, so we ask that members of ASA submit their data to ASA by Wednesday, April 1, 2026 so we can assemble it into an industry report.

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Late Friday Changes to the Tariff Rules – Still No Love for EU Aircraft Parts

August 29, 2025 by Leave a comment

To round out our week, this afternoon the government has issued new tariff rules. Spoiler alert – it extends certain exemptions for products of China, but it does nothing useful for aircraft parts.

Welcome to the world, revision 21 of the 2025 HTSUS!

I’ve been watching the HTSUS carefully because I am expecting to see a change excluding EU aircraft parts from the ‘product-of-the-EU’ tariffs in Chapter 99. That change has not yet been issued. The change was foreshadowed in a White House Statement that was issued a week ago (see our blog post from 8/22). But the 15% duty rate is still (currently) applied to aircraft parts that are products of the EU.

So what did we see in revision 21? Minor changes to the way that we process products of China. The China exceptions for certain goods (covered under HTSUS 9903.88.69 and 9903.88.70, and their cross-referenced subchapter III notes) are extended through November 29, 2025. These are a variety of specific goods that have been excluded from tariffs by order of the U.S. Trade Representative. The list includes certain LCD modules and main board assemblies. Most aircraft parts fall outside of this list of exempted products from China.

Keep your eyes out for 2025 HTSUS revision 22 – if that is issued next week then it might change the treatment of civil aircraft parts that are the product of the European Union.

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Temporary Reduction in US-China Tariffs

May 13, 2025 by Leave a comment

China and the United States have agreed to a temporary reduction in import duties. Details are included in the related Executive Order.

For 90 days, the United States will charge a baseline tariff of 10% of the value of products of China, plus the 20% “fentanyl” tariff on product of China, plus the 25% tariff on certain aircraft parts (HTSUS 9903.88.01 – where appropriate). Many aircraft parts are subject to the additional 25% duty under this provision, including those under (for example) headings 8409, 8411, and 8807.

During this same period, China will apply a 10% tariff (plus any special tariff on aircraft parts) to goods that are the product of the United States.

These tariffs are based on the “country of origin” of the goods, and not based on the origin of the transaction.

The temporary pause is schedule to begin tomorrow, May 14, and will continue for 90 days. After that, the U.S. tariffs on products of China are scheduled to go back to a baseline of 34% instead of 10%.

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Tariff Resources Are Now Available

March 4, 2025 by 1 Comment

New tariffs are active and anyone engaged in importing goods needs to be aware of the new tariffs and how they may affect your business. This can be difficult because if you pull up the HTSUS today, it is not yet updated with these tariffs. We’ve summarized the upcoming tariffs imposing duties on goods from Canada, China (including Hong Kong) and Mexico.

The new tariffs went into effect on March 4 (today) at 12:01 am. They amount to a 25% tariff on products from Mexico or Canada, and a 20% tariff on products of China. The 20% tariff on Chinese products is a 10% increase from the tariff imposed a month ago, and is imposed in addition to the pre-existing 25% tariff on certain products (including most aircraft parts) that was imposed during the first Trump Administration (e.g. the additional China tariffs applied to most aircraft parts will be 45%).

TariffProductsDuty
9903.01.24Articles that are the product of
China and/or Hong Kong		20%
9903.01.01Articles that are the product of Mexico25%
9903.01.10Articles that are the products of Canada25%

There are some exceptions, but their applicability to the aviation industry will be tenuous. For Canada and Mexico, the exceptions include:

  • donations of articles intended to be used to relieve human suffering, such as food, clothing, and medicine
  • informational materials (like service bulletins)

The additional duties imposed by these tariffs generally will not apply if you are importing goods under a provision of chapter 98 of the HTSUS, except that some of the provisions most likely to be used by our community ARE subject to duty under the new tariffs. In particular goods entered under subheadings 9802.00.40, 9802.00.50, 9802.00.60, and 9802.00.80 are subject to the new tariffs.

The first three subheadings apply to goods sent abroad for repair or processing and then returned to the United States. The importer will need to pay a duty on the value of the repairs. For subheadings 9802.00.40, 9802.00.50, and 9802.00.60, the additional duties apply to the value of repairs, alterations, or processing performed in Canada, China (including Hong Kong), and Mexico. Note that subheading 9802.00.40 is for warranty repairs – the rules specify that the advancement in value will be subject to tariff even though the warranty repairs might be performed for free. Subheading 9802.00.60 is for processing of metal goods that are made in the U.S., exported for processing (e.g. a coating or plating or any other process), and then returned to the U.S. for further processing (the return is the import subject to a duty). In each case, the value of the repair or processing will be subject to the additional tariffs imposed on Canada, China and Mexico.

9802.00.80 is used when someone produces parts in the United States and then they are assembled abroad before being returned to the U.S. The dutiable value of the returned article is based on the value of the assembly minus the value of the individual parts from the U.S. This dutiable value will still be subject to the additional tariffs imposed on Canada, China and Mexico.

If you are importing aircraft parts from China, then check to see whether the additional 25% duty on certain products of China applies – it is under tariff code 9903.88.01.

You can click below to find the DRAFT Federal Register notices. These tariffs are expected to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday the 6th, but copies are currently available for public inspection:

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Tariff Update

February 24, 2025 by 2 Comments

We’ve been answering a number of questions from our members about tariff status. This article is meant to summarize what we know about recent tariff activity, but the administration hasn’t maintained a uniform message about tariffs, so what we know could change at any time.

UPDATE: We have published more up-to-date information for products of Canada, Mexico and other Non-US sources and for steel and aluminum.

China

The United States has applied a 10% tariff in addition to any pre-existing tariffs that already applied to aircraft parts from China.

It is important to recognize that there is an existing list of products of China that were already subject to a 25% ‘additional duty’ provision. This is described under subheading 9903.88.01 and the description can be found under U.S. note 20(b) to sub-chapter III of chapter 99 of the US Harmonized Tariff System. Many aircraft parts are subject to a 25% duty under this provision, including those under (for example) headings 8409, 8411, and 8807. This means that the additional 10% duty of tariff 9903.01.20 brings the import duty on those aircraft parts to 35% (assuming they would have been otherwise subject to a zero-duty entry, but-for the ‘additional duty’ provisions, e.g. aircraft parts under headings 8409, 8411, or 8807).

Because of the peculiar way that the China tariffs had been drafted, it is possible that articles subject to a non-zero base duty may have that base duty doubled (see this article for a detailed explanation). This is a non-issue for most aircraft parts because most are subject to a zero percent base duty rate, but some aircraft parts (like certain fasteners) have a non-zero base duty and the peculiarities will need to be resolved for those imports.

Canada and Mexico

The United States is scheduled to impose 25% tariffs against substantially all products of Canada and substantially all products of Mexico. In each case the tariffs are currently schedule to apply to Canadian imports and Mexican imports as of 12:01 am March 4, 2025. The tariffs (which are the description of how the duty rates will be applied) were withdrawn when the Canada and Mexico tariffs were delayed, so the republished tariffs could change.

Typically, the 25% tariff would be applied to the import value of the goods (25% of the value is charged as a duty). When the goods are exported from the United States for the purpose of obtaining repair abroad, and then subsequently returned to the U.S., the dutiable value upon return is typically calculated based on the parts-and-labor-cost of the MRO work that was accomplished abroad (unless it is a no-charge repair, like a warranty repair, in which case it is based on the fair market value of the repair). This is covered under chapter 98 tariff subheadings like 9802.00.40 (for warranty repairs) or 9802.00.50 (for non-warranty repairs). The goods would be subject to a basic duty based on the repair value times the rate that applies to the underlying good. For example, if the repair cost was $20,000 and the underlying aircraft part was subject to heading 8807, then the old rate of duty would be zero percent so the duty would be zero dollars. Under the new tariffs with the 25% duty rates, though, if the repair cost was $20,000 and the tariff on products of the country in which the repair was performed is at a 25% duty rate, then the U.S. importer to whom the repaired part is returned (from Canada) would need to pay an import duty of $5,000 (in addition to the repair cost).

Steel and Aluminum

The Administration has also issued orders to apply and increase duty rates on steel and aluminum (including plates, sheets, strips, bars, rods, tubes and wires). The new duty rates for aluminum from most countries will be 25% (in addition to any other applicable tariffs). Derivative products made from aluminum or steel will also be subject to a 10% duty (in addition to any other applicable tariffs). The executive order that announced these is quite complicated, with different phase-in dates for different countries, and some higher duty rates for certain countries (for example Turkey will face a 50% duty rate on all steel articles imports and Russia will face a 200% duty rate on imported derivative aluminum articles).

If you think that the steel or aluminum tariffs may apply to your imports then please be sure to read the tariffs thoroughly (don’t just rely on this blog article because there are too many details to republish them all here).

Other Targets

In tomorrow’s Federal Register, we expect to see a new request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The new request will ask the American people to identify any unfair trade practices by other countries, with a discussion of the harm to the United States. The draft publication refers to these as non-reciprocal trade arrangements so it appears that the Administration (which has threatened to implement reciprocal tariffs) may be looking at such arrangements as justifications for tariffs on comparable products from these source countries. This investigation is a response to the “America First Trade Policy” Executive Order.

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New China Tariffs to be Published

February 10, 2025 by Leave a comment

The new tariff on goods from China is being published on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The way that they are drafted my impose a greater-than-expected customs duty on some products from China.

When you report tariff codes, you will report the 10-digit code that applies to the goods being imported, as well as the chapter 99 code that describes the additional tariff.

The new tariff code that applies to aircraft parts is 9903.01.20. The duty associated with this code is “The duty provided in the applicable subheading + 10%.” This is a fairly normal nomenclature for a category 99 tariff – it means you take the normal duty associated with the main subheading and add 10%; but it typically assumes that there is only one chapter 99 tariff that applies to your import.

For example, aircraft parts under heading 8807 are imported for zero duty, so the new duty when importing from China is zero + 10% or 10%. Steel lock washers imported under heading 7318 are subject to 5.8% duty, so if steel lock washers were imported from China the new duty would be 5.8% + 10% or a total of 15.8%.

This looks simple enough, but the problem is that the first Trump administration already imposed a 25% tariff on certain goods from China (9903.88.01) using very similar language. That earlier tariff applied a duty equal to “The duty provided in the applicable subheading + 25%.” Following the language of this provision means that you add the duty from the applicable subheading tariff to the additional duty for this tariff to get the final duty value. For heading 8807, and other classifications that have a zero duty rate, this means that the net duty is 25%. This duty must be paid in addition to the 10% duty described in the prior paragraph (net 35% duty).

The scope of the original 25% duty is limited to a (long) list of HTSUS headings, so make sure your import is actually covered by that list if you are considering applying this tariff code (many aircraft parts are covered).

If you examine a product with a non-zero duty under the directly-applicable tariff codes, you run into an interesting problem. You are paying double-duty! Look at the steel lock washers imported under heading 7318. They are subject to 5.8% duty, so if steel lock washers were imported from China the 9903.88.01 duty would be 5.8% + 25% or a total of 30.8%. The sum of the two duties (9903.01.20 and 9903.88.01) would be 46.6% because both of then incorporate the base duty that applies directly to the product.

I’m not sure that was the intended result. I suspect it was meant to be a total additional tariff of 35% plus the base tariff for the subheading that applies to the goods. But the way that the two tariffs are written you end up paying the duty associated with the product’s applicable subheading twice. It remains to be seen whether this will be corrected, or if the double-base-duty will be enforced.

Either way you will need to declare both tariffs (9903.01.20 and 9903.88.01) if you are importing affected goods from China. Despite the delayed publication in the Federal Register, the new China tariff applies to all goods imported on or after February 5 (last week).

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Canada, Mexico Duties Delayed: What Do the Actual Tariffs Say?

February 3, 2025 by Leave a comment

A lot of articles are being written about the President’s tariff threats. It continues to be a wild ride. As I am writing this, it has been reported that Mexico and Canada have agreed to increase border security, and the President has agreed to a 30-day suspension of the tariffs on Mexico and Canada. There does not yet seem to be a deal to delay the China tariff. You can see copies of the executive orders linked in the “Resources” section, below.

The actual tariffs are important – they are the written expositions of what is subject to duty and how much duty will apply. They answer the questions of whether the tariffs will apply to your specific transaction. Unlike the Executive Orders, which leave open questions, the tariffs are typically more precise and often address questions that are likely to arise.

As discussed in our earlier article, there are many aircraft and engine articles manufactured in other countries that could be imported into the U.S. and thus could be subject to the new ‘additional duty’ provisions.

The tariffs are scheduled to be published on February 5, 2025 in the Federal Register. As they are drafted, the ‘additional duty’ provisions set out in the tariffs will be effective with respect to articles of Canada and the People’s Republic of China, if those articles are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on February 4, 2025 (e.g. any time starting on Tuesday the 4th). This generally includes aircraft parts imported as products of these jursidictions. So this means that the tariffs that are scheduled to be published will be (would be?) effective in a matter of a few hours from now.

Based on the reported White House announcements (about the 30-day suspensions), it seems likely that the U.S. government will file a subsequent amendment suspending application of the new tariffs for thirty days (consistent with today’s Executive Order).

Either way, there is a distinct possibility that sooner or later, we will need to know the specifics of the tariffs as they apply to the aviation community.

Table of New Tariffs (Summary)

Tariff #What is Subject to the Tariff?Duty for most articles
9903.01.10“All products of Canada,” except for certain donations, certain informational products, certain oil, gas, minerals and energy products, baggage, and things that were in transit when the tariff was published.25%
9903.01.20“All products of China,” except for certain donations, certain informational products, certain oil, gas, minerals and energy products, baggage, and things that were in transit when the tariff was published.10% [in addition to already existing tariffs for a selection of goods]

Special Notes

SCOPE:

In plain English, most aircraft parts will fall within the scope clauses of the Canadian and Chinese tariffs as they have been drafted. As discussed below, this will also include repairs performed in Canada or China.

CHINA:

It is important to recognize that there is an existing list of products of China that are already subject to a 25% ‘additional duty’ provision. This is described under subheading 9903.88.01 and the description can be found under U.S. note 20(b) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the US Harmonized Tariff System. Many aircraft parts are subject to a 25% duty under this provision, including those under (for example) headings 8409, 8411, and 8807. This means that the additional 10% duty of tariff 9903.01.20 brings the import duty on those aircraft parts to 35% (assuming they would have been otherwise subject to a zero-duty entry, but-for the ‘additional duty’ provisions, e.g. aircraft parts under headings 8409, 8411, or 8807).

MEXICO:

You might note that I have not mentioned the new tariff for products from Mexico. That is because the new tariff for products from Mexico has not yet been made a part of the Federal Register’s records. It is possible that a tariff for products from Mexico will be published a day later, on February 6, 2025. It is possible that the Mexico tariff is more complicated and thus is simply not yet ready to be published. IT is also possible that the Mexican ‘deal’ was struck early enough that the Tariff publication could be delayed, while the Canadian ‘deal’ may have come too late to forestall submission of the tariff to the federal Register.

REPAIRS:

The Chinese and Canadian ‘additional duty’ provisions specifically state that they apply to the value of repairs.

What about articles sent to Canada for repair? Typically, U.S. articles repaired abroad and then returned to the United States (or articles for which a duty was previously paid that are subsequently sent to Canada for repair) are charged a duty based on the added value associated with the repair. This added value is typically equal to the cost of the repair (unless it is a no-charge repair, in which case it is based on the fair market value fo the repair). This is covered under chapter 98 tariff subheadings like 9802.00.40 (for warranty repairs) or 9802.00.50 (for non-warranty repairs). The goods would be subject to a basic duty based on the repair value times the rate that applies to the underlying good. For example, if the repair cost was $20,000 and the underlying aircraft part was subject to heading 8807, then the rate of duty would be zero percent so the duty would be zero dollars. Under the new tariffs, though, if the repair cost was $20,000 and the tariff is at a 25% rate, then the U.S. importer to whom the repaired part is returned (from Canada) would need to pay an import duty of $5,000. This requirement appears to be suspended with the remainder of the Canadian tariff, but if the Canadian tariffs go into effect in March, then the application to repairs will still apply.

Obviously, anything sent to China for repair will be subject to the applicable tariffs as applied to the value of the repair; the tariffs for imports of goods and repairs from China have not been suspended.

Resources

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New Tariffs Will Increase Costs for Certain Parts

February 1, 2025 by 1 Comment

The United States has issued new tariffs on products from Canada, China, and Mexico.  These new tariffs go into effect for all products from those countries.  This includes aircraft, aircraft engines, and aircraft parts. The announced tariffs will apply a duty of 25% on products of Canada and Mexico and 10% on products of China. These duties represent a tax on the value of the goods that must be paid by the importer.

If your company is importing goods from one of these jurisdictions, then you will need to make sure that the proper tariff codes are declared, and the duties are paid. Typically, the importer must make sure that the import-declarations identify the base tariff code for the good in question, and also identify any additional special tariff codes, such as the codes for these country-based tariffs. The proper tariff codes for these additional tariffs have not yet been published, but we hope that we will be able to identify and publish them soon for your benefit.

These tariffs will apply to aircraft, engines and parts that are manufactured in Canada, China or Mexico (in addition to all other goods from those jurisdictions).  Normally, most aircraft parts are imported into the United States duty-free, so the duties imposed by the new tariffs will be a significant change.

Canadian aerospace product examples include (this is not a complete list!):

  • Bell helicopters manufactured in Mirabel, Quebec
  • Bombardier Aircraft
  • De Havilland Aircraft of Canada
  • Diamond Aircraft
  • Pratt & Whitney Canada Engines

In 2023, the Canadian aerospace manufacturing industry exported over $19B of aerospace products.

Hours after the announcement, Canada and Mexico announced that they would both be issuing retaliatory tariffs. At present those tariffs do not appear to include aircraft parts, but that could change.

Many aircraft parts from China are already subject to a 25% tariff under tariff code 9903.88.01; the new 10% tariff will be in addition to the existing 25% tariff.

The new U.S. duties go into effect as of 12:01 a.m. eastern time on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. 

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US-China Trade: New Sanctions

June 5, 2024 by Leave a comment

The United States and China continue to snipe at one another through their export and import laws. The latest actions appear to have the potential to affect the aviation community.

US Import Tariff Increases

The United States announced increased import duties for certain goods imported from China. Duties are paid by the U.S. importers, so the tariffs that impose these duties are intended to incentivize importers to source their goods from nations other than China.

The new tariff changes were proposed by the USTR on May 28, and they are open for comment through June 28, 2024. The new tariffs changes that are most likely to affect the aerospace industry include (this is a partial list only!):

GoodTariff CodesOld TariffNew TariffProposed Effective Date
certain steel and aluminum productsmany codes in headings 7206 – 7229, 7301-7306, and 7601-76090-7.5%25%
August 1, 2024
Certain electronic integrated circuits8542.31.00
8542.32.00
8542.33.00
8542.39.00
8542.90.00		25%50%January 1, 2025
lithium-ion batteries (non-EV)8507.60.002207.5%25%January 1, 2026
battery parts8507.90.407.5%25%August 1, 2024

Chinese Export Restrictions

Reuters is reporting that China’s Commerce Ministry has announced new export controls on certain aviation components. The new regulations will impose licensing requirements on additional aviation components. These will apparently apply beginning on July 1, and are intended to protect China’s national security and interests.

Earlier today, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized China’s rule-of-law approach. He called on Chinese government officials to raise their awareness of the rule of law and perform their duties in accordance with the law to ensure law-based government work. This seems likely to cause stricter adherence to China’s export restrictions.

ASA reviewed releases from the Ministry of Commerce and the State Council but could not yet find the details of these export restrictions. We will continue to monitor for details.

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Opportunities Abound in the Chinese Civil Aviation Marketplace

January 4, 2024 by Leave a comment

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has published a year-end report examining the traffic numbers for 2023, and making predictions for 2024.

The report shows that the Chinese commercial aviation market is robust and growing, having surpassed its 2019 (pre-Covid) numbers.

In the Report, CAAC touted its efforts to reform the supply chain for aviation. ASA has been working with China on this project since before Covid, with CAAC having issued formal recognition of the ASA-100 standard (in the CAAC’s information bulletin: IB-FS-MAT-001 R1 (2020)). This CAAC-ASA partnership was meant to protect the integrity of the international supply chain that supports the Chinese market.

CAAC also stressed its focus on safety management (an example of which can be seen in their new Part 145 regulations, which included an SMS requirement).

Air traffic highlights from the CAAC report support the conclusion that this is a growing market:

  • 2023 domestic commercial flight volumes exceeded 2019 (pre-Covid) volumes by 1.5%, and are expected to keep growing.
  • International passenger flights recover from less than 500 flights per week at the beginning of the year to more than 4,600 flights per week by the end. 
  • Passenger traffic between China and Europe has recovered to more than 60% of the pre-Covid level.
  • Regular direct flights between China and the United States have increased to 63 flights per week.
  • In 2023, Chinese civil aviation transported 620 million passengers.
  • In 2024, CAAC predicts that Chinese civil aviation will transport 630 million passengers on domestic routes, and will increase international flights to 6000 per week by the end of 2024.

From the CAAC Report, it appears that the Chinese aviation market has grown and will continue to grow. This could be an excellent opportunity for ASA members to increase their presence in China. ASA continues to maintain its relationship with CAAC and is proud to play a role in the CAAC aviation safety plans. 

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