Canada to buy used Australian fighter jets

TORONTO — Canada has ditched a plan to buy 18 Super Hornet jet fighters from U.S.-based Boeing and will instead buy 18 used F-18 fighters from Australia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada will stop doing business with Boeing if the U.S. company doesn’t drop a trade complaint against Canadian plane maker Bombardier.

Boeing claims Bombardier’s new C Series passenger aircraft receives subsidies that give it an advantage internationally.

Trudeau’s government said Tuesday it will assess companies’ overall impact on Canada’s economy before buying 88 additional fighter jets to replace its aging F-18s.

The bidding process for the new jets will now get underway.