Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier announced it is hiring 500 workers across the United States, pushing back against US President Donald Trump’s threats to block the company’s sales over claims that it lacks a sufficient American presence. Pointing to its existing 3,500 US employees, $2.5 billion in annual spending on American suppliers, and key manufacturing operations in Texas and California, Bombardier highlighted that the new hires will support expanding operations, including an upcoming service center in Indiana. The trade dispute, which has even drawn opposition from Republican senators defending Bombardier jobs in Kansas, comes as cross-border tensions intensify following Canada’s imposition of retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of US goods in response to 50 percent tariffs previously levied by Washington.