The trade war with the US has led to the cost of jets and parts from the aerospace giant to more than double for Chinese carriers

China has ordered its airlines to stop accepting Boeing jets as the trade war with the US continues to escalate, Bloomberg wrote on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

This development follows a series of reciprocal tariff hikes between the two nations. Last week, Washington increased tariffs on Chinese imports to a total of 145%. In response, Beijing imposed 125% tariffs on American imports and restricted exports of minerals essential for high-tech manufacturing.

Beijing has also asked Chinese airlines to stop any purchases of parts or aircraft-related equipment from US companies, according to Bloomberg.

The reported order came after China's announcement of retaliatory tariffs, which have more than doubled the cost of American aircraft and parts, making their continued use impractical for Chinese companies, Bloomberg cited its sources as saying.

In addition, the Chinese government is exploring measures to support airlines leasing Boeing jets that are now facing increased costs, the sources told the outlet.

China's top three airlines - Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines - had plans to receive 45, 53 and 81 planes from the US aerospace giant, respectively, over the next two years, according to Reuters

China is one of the biggest markets for aircraft, and has in the past accounted for up to a quarter of Boeing's output.

US President Donald Trump seemingly slammed the decision in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. Beijing "just reneged on the big Boeing deal, saying that they will 'not take possession' of fully committed to aircraft," the president wrote.

Earlier in April, Trump announced a sweeping wave of tariffs on nations with whom he claimed the US had an unfair trade deficit with. The tariffs prompted retaliation from a number of countries.

Beijing has slammed the US tariffs as "unilateral bullying."

"China will insist on shaking hands rather than shaking fists, tearing down walls instead of building barriers, connecting instead of decoupling," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson told a press briefing on Tuesday. It comes a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping began a set of visits to build ties with neighboring Asian countries similarly facing massive US tariffs.

(RT.com)