Boeing in deal talks with Brazil’s Embraer
Acquisition would combine the world’s largest aerospace company with the third largest passenger jet maker
Boeing has held talks about a multibillion-dollar takeover of Brazil’s Embraer in a move which could further reshape the global aerospace industry as European rival Airbus prepares to take control of Bombardier’s C Series regional passenger jet.
The deal, should it go ahead, would combine the world’s largest aerospace company with the third largest passenger jet maker. If successful, it would also be the biggest deal by Boeing since the purchase of McDonnell Douglas in 1997 for $13bn.
Embraer and Boeing confirmed on Thursday that they were in discussions on a deal, but said the terms were still being discussed and there was no guarantee that a transaction would result. Embraer shares leapt 40 per cent.
Should it go ahead, a deal would broaden Boeing’s product range to the smallest end of commercial aircraft, jets of fewer than 100 seats, as well as boost its range of military and business jets.
However, a deal remains far from certain as it will require approval from the Brazilian government, which has a golden share in Embraer.
Both Boeing and Embraer appear to have been driven to discussions by Airbus’s surprise deal in October in which it secured a 50.01 per cent stake in the C Series jet from Canada’s Bombardier for no cash payment. Airbus will provide marketing and servicing support, and produce jets for the US market at its Alabama factory.
That deal is expected to give a new lease of life to Bombardier’s aircraft, which had struggled to win orders amid concerns over the Canadian company’s financial viability. It has taken several public bailouts due to the cost overruns on the C Series programme.
Both Boeing and Embraer have sought to stifle the C Series with legal challenges. The smallest aircraft in the range competes with Embraer’s biggest E-Jet, while the C Series could eventually be extended to challenge Boeing’s smallest single-aisle aircraft.
Boeing has launched legal action in the US courts, claiming the Canadian bailouts and, separately, loans from the UK government to Bombardier’s Northern Ireland factory, amounted to illegal subsidies.
The US Department of Commerce this week upheld a preliminary proposal to impose heavy tariffs of close to 300 per cent on imports of the C Series, a move which could have crippled the programme. However the final ruling on whether to impose the tariffs is not expected until early next year and Airbus and Bombardier believe that their deal means the tariffs will not apply, as any aircraft for US customers will be made locally.
Embraer, meanwhile, has taken its case for unfair competition to the World Trade Organization.
Embraer also makes smaller commercial aircraft for the regional market and business jets which would strengthen Boeing’s product range. However, analysts voiced surprise at Boeing’s move, given that it has repeatedly dismissed the logic of the Airbus deal.
“To go and buy Embraer would be a major change from what investors have been lead to expect, and also seemingly endorse the Airbus/C-Series strategy that Boeing was so recently unenthused about,” said Rob Stallard of Vertical Research Partners. “Given the Brazilian government involvement, this could prove to be the major stumbling block in getting anything done.”
Richard Aboulafia, of aerospace consultancy Teal Group, said the talks with Embraer make Boeing’s trade complaint against Bombardier “seem rational, if they were about to acquire a company with core products that competed with Bombardier aircraft”.
But he added that price and Brazilian national politics were two areas of major concern. ”Embraer is a very good company. Does it make sense in anyone else’s hands? I’m not sure I see that.”
The Brazilian government would be able to veto the deal under a “transfer of control” provision allowed by the golden share it holds in Embraer. Brazilian officials, including the country’s finance, planning, and transport ministries did not reply to requests for comment, nor did Brazil’s national development bank, BNDES, which holds a 5.4 per cent stake in the company.
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Acquisition would combine the world’s largest aerospace company with the third largest passenger jet maker
Boeing has held talks about a multibillion-dollar takeover of Brazil’s Embraer in a move which could further reshape the global aerospace industry as European rival Airbus prepares to take control of Bombardier’s C Series regional passenger jet.
The deal, should it go ahead, would combine the world’s largest aerospace company with the third largest passenger jet maker. If successful, it would also be the biggest deal by Boeing since the purchase of McDonnell Douglas in 1997 for $13bn.
Embraer and Boeing confirmed on Thursday that they were in discussions on a deal, but said the terms were still being discussed and there was no guarantee that a transaction would result. Embraer shares leapt 40 per cent.
Should it go ahead, a deal would broaden Boeing’s product range to the smallest end of commercial aircraft, jets of fewer than 100 seats, as well as boost its range of military and business jets.
However, a deal remains far from certain as it will require approval from the Brazilian government, which has a golden share in Embraer.
Both Boeing and Embraer appear to have been driven to discussions by Airbus’s surprise deal in October in which it secured a 50.01 per cent stake in the C Series jet from Canada’s Bombardier for no cash payment. Airbus will provide marketing and servicing support, and produce jets for the US market at its Alabama factory.
That deal is expected to give a new lease of life to Bombardier’s aircraft, which had struggled to win orders amid concerns over the Canadian company’s financial viability. It has taken several public bailouts due to the cost overruns on the C Series programme.
Both Boeing and Embraer have sought to stifle the C Series with legal challenges. The smallest aircraft in the range competes with Embraer’s biggest E-Jet, while the C Series could eventually be extended to challenge Boeing’s smallest single-aisle aircraft.
Boeing has launched legal action in the US courts, claiming the Canadian bailouts and, separately, loans from the UK government to Bombardier’s Northern Ireland factory, amounted to illegal subsidies.
The US Department of Commerce this week upheld a preliminary proposal to impose heavy tariffs of close to 300 per cent on imports of the C Series, a move which could have crippled the programme. However the final ruling on whether to impose the tariffs is not expected until early next year and Airbus and Bombardier believe that their deal means the tariffs will not apply, as any aircraft for US customers will be made locally.
Embraer, meanwhile, has taken its case for unfair competition to the World Trade Organization.
Embraer also makes smaller commercial aircraft for the regional market and business jets which would strengthen Boeing’s product range. However, analysts voiced surprise at Boeing’s move, given that it has repeatedly dismissed the logic of the Airbus deal.
“To go and buy Embraer would be a major change from what investors have been lead to expect, and also seemingly endorse the Airbus/C-Series strategy that Boeing was so recently unenthused about,” said Rob Stallard of Vertical Research Partners. “Given the Brazilian government involvement, this could prove to be the major stumbling block in getting anything done.”
Richard Aboulafia, of aerospace consultancy Teal Group, said the talks with Embraer make Boeing’s trade complaint against Bombardier “seem rational, if they were about to acquire a company with core products that competed with Bombardier aircraft”.
But he added that price and Brazilian national politics were two areas of major concern. ”Embraer is a very good company. Does it make sense in anyone else’s hands? I’m not sure I see that.”
The Brazilian government would be able to veto the deal under a “transfer of control” provision allowed by the golden share it holds in Embraer. Brazilian officials, including the country’s finance, planning, and transport ministries did not reply to requests for comment, nor did Brazil’s national development bank, BNDES, which holds a 5.4 per cent stake in the company.
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