President Donald Trump told Fox News that China had agreed to buy 200 Boeing jet planes, according to a clip released Thursday, more than the 150 planes Boeing had planned.
“One thing he agreed to today is he’s going to order 200 planes. That’s a big thing. Boeings,” Trump told Fox News, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Boeing wanted 150, it got 200.”
Analysts were expecting a large order for Boeing planes following Trump’s visit to China, with Jefferies estimating the order could reach 500 aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and other top U.S. business executives joined Trump on the trip.
The manufacturer has not won a major order from China in almost a decade, but the country has been buying from Boeing’s main rival, Airbus.
Trump did not specify which planes China might buy from Boeing, although analysts expected a potential order including hundreds of Boeing’s best-selling 737 Max planes.
Boeing and the White House had no immediate comment. Boeing shares closed 4.73% lower on Thursday and were up 0.29% after the close.
Ortberg said during a company earnings call last month that the U.S.-China summit could be a “significant opportunity for us,” which could include an order for planes.
“I’m not going to give you the number of planes, but it’s a significant number,” he said.