CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) will halt 737 production in January for the first time in more than 20 years as the grounding of the planemaker's best-selling MAX looks set to last well into 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Boeing's 737 MAX, which is made in Seattle, was grounded worldwide in March following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The production freeze by one of the largest U.S. exporters is expected to impact suppliers, airlines and financiers across the globe, as well as the U.S. economy.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)