Boeing may express interest in Canada fighter jet bid: executive
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Boeing may express interest in a jet fighter competition in Canada despite a recent trade row, but is still studying the matter, a senior executive said on Monday.
Boeing has until Feb. 9 to express interest in taking part in the bidding for 88 jets worth between C$15 billion and C$19 billion ($12.1 billion to $15.3 billion).
Asked ahead of the Singapore Airshow whether the U.S. plane maker would express interest by Friday, Gene Cunningham, vice president for sales at Boeing Defence and Space, told reporters: "That is certainly a possibility and we will let you know as that unfolds".
Boeing's relationship with Canada has soured since it complained that Canadian planemaker Bombardier was dumping airliners on the American market. A U.S. trade commission dismissed Boeing's complaint on Jan. 26.
Cunningham also said Boeing was in discussions across Asia for possible future defense sales, including attack helicopters in Philippines and Thailand.
Boeing has also had preliminary conversations with Vietnam, following the lifting of a U.S. arms embargo in 2016.
"We have been to Vietnam several times to have conversations, but we are still in a formulative phase," Cunningham said, adding that Boeing would strictly follow specific export controls that apply to all military products.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
