Howmet Aerospace has declared force majeure in the wake of Trump's tariffs This is a Pittsburgh-based company that sells some of the most important parts to basically every major commercial and military aviation company.
"Force majeure" is a French term meaning "superior force" that, in contract law, refers to an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties that prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under a contract, effectively freeing them from liability.
Below is a Graphic showing how the parts for a single Boeing "Dreamliner 787" aircraft, are sourced from all over the world. The parts supplied by these foreign companies are now all subject to Tariifs.
The cost for those parts is now going to dramatically increase, making it al but impossible for a company like Howmet to honor its contract pricing on airliner parts. Hence, the declaration of "force majeure."
Expect more of these declarations commencing next week as Tariffs impact all other industries. Supply chain issues are now beginning.