Today's Article

A day after President Donald Trump 1called for a 2boycott of Canadian-based Bombardier and the response from Kansas State and local leaders is 3rolling in.

"This is their U.S. 4headquarters. They employ about 1,200 people, and so that's a pretty massive employer by about anybody's standards."

Senator Jerry Moran released a statement saying he's talked with the Trump administration about Bombardier's Wichita footprint.

And Senator Roger Marshall went on to say he plans on fighting to keep the 1,200 jobs Bombardier brings to Kansas and its 5legacy and that the company is "6obligated to grow that 7footprint in Kansas again."

Dr. Larry Straub with Newman University says the global trade environment, the one the U.S. and Canada operate in, is changing.

"We're trying to figure out what the rules of the road are, and unfortunately right now there's not really a lot of 8defined rules to this."

Trade right now, Straub says, operates as a post-9free-trade world where global trade relies less on open borders and zero tariffs and more on national 10self-reliance.

"How does the current situation with Bombardier 11play a role?"

"This is just a big 12tug of war with the America First movement. They're really looking at 'how do things work for America?' If we're giving a lot to your company, we're buying a lot of your products, but you're doing all of the manufacturing, most of the 13manufacturing in Canada. Is that fair?"

While the Wichita office doesn't manufacture planes, it is the U.S. headquarters.

One buffer for business in Wichita, Straub says, is that Bombardier likely does plenty of military contracting.

"And I think the military will have a lot more power on making sure those aren't 14disrupted."