The second Boeing 737 Max 8, expected to be delivered to a Chinese airline, returned to the US on April 21, according to data from the AirNav Radar flight tracking site.
This is considered the latest result of the escalating tariff war between the US and China.
According to Reuters, the plane left the Chu Son manufacturing facility near Shanghai, then landed in Guam, a familiar stop on a journey of about 8,000 km from Boeing's manufacturing facility in Seattle (USA) to China.
The day before, another 737 Max painted by Xiamen Airlines also left Zhoushan to return to Boeing Field Airport in Seattle.
It is not yet clear which side will decide to bring the two aircraft back to the US. Boeing declined to comment on the incident.
The return of the plane comes amid a trade war between the two major economies that is strongly affecting the aviation industry. This month, the Trump administration raised the basic tax rate on Chinese imports to 145%, while Beijing responded with a 125% tax on US goods.
This makes receiving the handover of a new Boeing, with a market value of about 55 million USD according to the consulting firm IBA, extremely expensive for Chinese airlines.
The 737 Max 8 had only been flying from Seattle to Zhu Son for less than a month before turning around. The model is Boeing's best-selling aircraft and has gone through nearly five years of being stopped for import due to previous technical problems and trade tensions.
Some airlines, such as Malaysia Airlines, are said to be negotiating with Boeing to buy back aircraft that could be refunded if Chinese airlines stop receiving orders.
The current tariff war has disrupted the decades-long tax exemption regulations of the aviation industry, causing many airlines to hesitate or postpone receiving new aircraft due to concerns about high costs. Analysts warn that uncertainty about tariffs could cause many orders to stall in the coming time.
