President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that China has agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, referring to the deal as “200 big ones” during a live broadcast interview. “It was kind of like a statement, but I believe it’s a commitment,” Trump said, describing his discussion with President Xi Jinping in a Fox News interview.
“That’s a significant number of jobs,” Trump told Fox host Sean Hannity in clips shared by the network. Following these comments, stock prices declined.
U.S. media outlets had speculated that China might place an order for approximately 500 single-aisle Boeing 737 Max aircraft, along with about 100 larger models such as the 787 Dreamliner and 777.
Boeing has yet to comment on the matter. The company’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, was part of the U.S. delegation attending the Beijing summit. Last month, Ortberg expressed hope for a Chinese order, noting that the outcome largely depends on U.S.-China negotiations and relations.
Boeing’s most recent order from Chinese authorities was in 2017 when Trump was on his first visit to Beijing. That deal involved 300 aircraft, both single and twin-aisle, valued at around $37 billion.
Following the announcement, Boeing’s shares dropped by about 4% around 5 p.m. GMT.