Qatar signed a contract on Wednesday to buy a jet from Qatar Airways’ US maker Boeing.
The agreement was signed by both President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emil Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani.
A White House fact sheet released later that day said it would be a $96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing planes.
“So it’s over $20 billion, but it’s $160 for the Jets. That’s great,” Trump said.
“It’s a record, congratulations to Boeing, Kelly,,” he added, directing Boeing CEO Kelly Autoberg, who was in the room, towards comments.
Boeing certainly can use help. Last year, last year, effectively stopped after the door plug was blown off the largest of the Alaska Airlines 737 in early 2024, leaving a large hole in the side of the plane. Even if they rebound on orders towards the end of 2024, Boeing’s total orders were just 569 for all last year.
And what didn’t help Boeing was a massive strike in the fall. About 33,000 mechanics hit the Picket line in September, and Boeing did not resume production until early December. Last year, Boeing’s delivery was sunk to just 348 aircraft last year, down 34% from 2023.
Therefore, Trump’s tariffs served as a gut punch to the company already on the ropes. Boeing is America’s top exporter, and tariffs are threatening to make jets millions of dollars more expensive. Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs can also jack the cost of building an airplane as Boeing procures parts and supplies from overseas.
The Trump administration appears to be seeking commitments to the Boeing Order as part of its negotiation strategy on trade. Last week, Commerce Chief Secretary Howard Lutnick said at his oval office that the UK airline had agreed to buy a Boeing Jet worth $10 billion as part of a larger deal on the trade framework. Reuters later reported that the airline was an IAG, and it would order around 30 of its 787 widebody jets.
Boeing shares rose 1.7% on Wednesday. Investors are excited, but they also recognize that order commitments are not final and airlines are known to cancel publicly available orders.
Other Agreements Signed in Qatar: Defense Secretary Pete Hegses has also signed a defense agreement, including a statement of intent to cooperate with the Qatar state and the United States. Hegseth also signed an offer and acceptance letter for the MQ 9B aircraft and FS Lid. Trump has signed a declaration of joint cooperation between Qatar and the United States.
Kit Maher contributed to this report.
Note: This post was updated to reflect the inconsistent numbers given by Trump and the White House.