Amid trade war with US, China halts Boeing jet deliveries

Beijing has ordered its carriers to stop delivering planes from American aerospace giant Boeing, according to a report released on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation of trade hostilities between the United States and China. Beijing also ordered its carriers to stop buying parts and equipment for aircraft from American companies.

First reported by Bloomberg News, the news comes as tensions in the US-China trade spat escalated due to Donald Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs.' The two biggest economies in the world have been involved in a tit-for-tat trade war since President Donald Trump took office in January. The United States is currently imposing tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese products.

In response to what they described as unlawful "bullying" by Washington, Beijing also imposed retaliatory levies of 125% on US goods, dismissing future hikes as useless. The latest directive from the Chinese government to halt Boeing's deliveries, which applies to both state-owned and private airlines, is also seen as part of Beijing's larger plan to thwart the US levies.