President Donald Trump told Fox News that China has agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, according to a clip that aired Thursday.
“One thing he agreed to today, he’s going to order 200 jets. That’s a big thing. Boeings,” Trump told Fox News, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Analysts had expected a big order of Boeing aircraft to come out of Trump’s visit to China, though analysts had been expecting more, with Jefferies estimating the order would be up to 500 aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and other top executives from U.S. companies joined Trump on the trip.
The manufacturer hasn’t won a major order from China in almost a decade, but the country has been buying from Boeing’s main rival, Airbus.
Trump didn’t specify which aircraft China could purchase from Boeing, though analysts had expected a potential order to include hundreds of Boeing’s bestselling 737 Max planes.
Boeing and the White House didn’t immediately comment. Boeing shares were down nearly 4% in afternoon trading.
Ortberg said on a company earnings call last month that the U.S.-China summit could be a “meaningful opportunity for us” that could include an aircraft order.
“I’m not going to give you the number of airplanes, but it’s a big number,” he said.
