WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States could impose export controls on Boeing ( BA ) plane parts as part of Washington's response to Chinese export limits on rare earth minerals, President Donald Trump said on Friday.

"We have many things, including a big thing is airplane. They (China) have a lot of Boeing ( BA ) planes, and they need parts, and lots of things like that," Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked what items could the U.S. impose export controls on.

Chinese airlines have orders for at least 222 Boeing ( BA ) jets, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.

The country has 1,855 Boeing ( BA ) airplanes in service. The vast majority of planes on order and in service are Boeing's ( BA ) popular 737 single-aisle jet.