US Commerce-assisted foreign contracts jump to US$244 billion in 2025 on Boeing order gains

[WASHINGTON] US companies signed foreign government procurement contracts worth US$244 billion in 2025 with assistance from the US Commerce Department, nearly triple the total in 2024 as Boeing logged a massive increase in jetliner orders, the agency’s International Trade Administration (ITA) said on Friday (Jan 23).

It added that the 121 contracts, also aided by foreign spending commitments in recent trade deals negotiated by US President Donald Trump’s administration, contain about US$206 billion in US export content and will support about 844,000 American jobs.

In 2024, the last year of former US president Joe Biden’s administration, ITA logged signed contracts worth US$87 billion, which was up significantly from a Covid-19-era low of US$17 billion in 2021.

The jump for 2025 comes with a massive increase in Boeing jetliner net orders to 1,075 from 377 the year before.

Also in 2025, the US planemaker rebounded to its sixth-best order year ever, and topped arch rival Airbus’ net orders for the first time in seven years.

Sales of Boeing planes and GE Aerospace jet engines made up US$215 billion of the total ITA-assisted 2025 contracts, based on value estimates released by the Trump administration, with US$187 billion in export value.

The total included a record deal with Qatar Airways for up to 210 widebody 787 and 777X aircraft valued at US$96 billion, including engines.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg signed the deal with Trump – who has boasted that he is the “greatest salesman in the history of Boeing” – and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during Trump’s visit to Doha in May.

The aircraft total also includes a deal valued at US$50 billion with Korean Air Lines that was billed as part of a US trade and investment deal with the Asian exporter that reduced tariff rates and included US$350 billion in other investments.

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Value estimates on announced aircraft orders are often based on list prices, but the final sale price of a jetliner can vary widely depending on a myriad of factors, such as the customer’s size and loyalty, delivery timing, long-term maintenance agreements, order volume and the terms of escalating costs of materials.

Planemakers collect most of their payment when a jet is delivered, so Boeing will not see the bulk of the money from these orders until several years after Trump’s term ends in 2029.

The Commerce Department’s totals only include signed contracts, so a number of preliminary Boeing purchase commitments announced in 2025 by Malaysia, Bangladesh and other countries as part of trade negotiations would likely be counted in the 2026 totals if the contracts are finalised, an ITA spokesperson said.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said: “We are laser-focused on promoting investment, manufacturing, and new opportunities for American companies and workers. While 2025 was historic, it was just the beginning. We will continue to usher in a new era of American manufacturing and prosperity.”

The ITA’s Assistance Centre advises companies on bidding for foreign government procurement contracts, and often sets up meetings between foreign decision makers and high-ranking US officials to promote American firms, marshalling resources from various US agencies.

US locomotive maker Wabtec signed a US$4.2 billion contract to supply 300 heavy-haul locomotive kits to Kazakhstan in September, after an advocacy campaign that included a phone call between Trump and Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, ITA said.

The Wabtec deal, its largest foreign sale ever, was among US$8.3 billion in global infrastructure and supply chain projects won by US companies in 2025, it added.

The agency added that the US$244 billion total also includes US$10 billion in defence sector contracts, US$7 billion in energy sector contracts and US$3.4 billion in technology sector contracts, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, fintech and healthcare. REUTERS