The Boeing Co. signed a $13.8 billion agreement Monday at the White House to sell 39 jetliners to Singapore International Airlines, a deal that President Trump said will create 70,000 jobs in the U.S.
“Otherwise we’ll cancel the order,” Mr. Trump joked.
The deal had been announced previously, but Mr. Trump hosted the event in the Roosevelt Room to emphasize the strength of the U.S.-Singapore economic and national security ties as he prepares for a nine-day trip to Asia.
“That’s jobs,” Mr. Trump said to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. “And you’re also buying the best plane, by the way. So that’s very good.”
Others attending the event included Vice President Mike Pence, Boeing Executive Vice President Kevin McAllister, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner.
Later, in an event in the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump says the relationship between the U.S. and Singapore is at its “highest point and it will continue.”
“We do a lot of business with Singapore,” the president said, thanking the Singaporean people for their “faith in American engineering and our American workers to deliver the best product, by far.”
Mr. Lee joked that SIA “is not a bad airline.”
“They try their best to buy the best airplanes, and I’m quite sure they’ve made a good decision,” Mr. Lee said.
The SIA order is for 20 Boeing 777-9s and 19 787-10 “Dreamliners” because big carriers often negotiate discounts on such large orders. Reuters suggested the deal is closer to $6.5 billion in value, citing estimates from the investment banking firm Jeffries.
“SIA has been a Boeing customer for many decades and we are pleased to have finalized this major order for widebody aircraft, which will enable us to continue operating a modern and fuel-efficient fleet,” Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said in a statement. “These new aircraft will also provide the SIA Group with new growth opportunities, allowing us to expand our network and offer even more travel options for our customers.”
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