Boeing said on Wednesday that it was considering halting production of the 737 Max if the grounding of its most popular plane persists, a move that could damage airlines, suppliers and even the United States economy.

The company is struggling to contain the fallout from two deadly crashes of the Max. It has already announced more than $8 billion in costs related to the accidents, and is producing the planes at a slower rate.

The damage is spreading through the constellation of companies connected to Boeing, the nation’s largest aerospace manufacturer. Airlines around the world have canceled thousands of flights, costing them billions of dollars, and some carriers have reined in expansion plans. Suppliers like General Electric, which makes engines for the Max, are expecting lower revenue in the quarter.

The economic toll is also rising. Orders of durable goods in the United States, which include commercial airplanes, were down 1.3 percent in May, the third drop in four months, according to the Census Bureau.