Boeing has restarted deliveries of its 737 MAX aircraft to Chinese customers, with a new plane landing in China on Monday, signaling a thaw in U.S.-China trade tensions.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the Xiamen Airlines-liveried jet touching down at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion center near Shanghai after a transpacific journey from Seattle, with refueling stops in Hawaii and Guam.
The delivery marks Boeing’s first to China since April, when escalating tariffs between the world’s two largest economies halted shipments.
In late May, Boeing announced plans to resume deliveries in June following a 90-day tariff rollback agreed upon by Beijing and Washington.
The aircraft that landed Monday had been ferried to Zhoushan in March but was returned to the U.S. in April as Chinese carriers paused accepting new Boeing planes.
China, which accounts for roughly 10% of Boeing’s commercial backlog, is a critical market for the U.S. planemaker amid its growing aviation sector.
The resumption of deliveries comes as U.S. and Chinese trade representatives prepare to meet in London on Monday to negotiate a broader trade agreement.
Boeing, Xiamen Airlines, and China’s Civil Aviation Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In April, at least three 737 MAX jets were repatriated to the U.S. from Zhoushan, where they were awaiting final preparations for Chinese carriers.
Boeing had previously indicated that ongoing tariffs could force it to resell dozens of aircraft originally destined for China.
The resumption of deliveries offers a boost to Boeing, which has faced challenges from supply chain disruptions and regulatory scrutiny, while underscoring the importance of the Chinese market to its global strategy.