Chinese inspectors are delaying imports of US agricultural products, luxury automobiles and even pet food, exacerbating tensions between the world’s two largest economies just days before bilateral trade talks are scheduled to  resume. 

Industry executives said Chinese officials had not cited bilateral trade friction for any of the delays, which have been caused by more stringent environmental checks and quarantine procedures. Products affected by the new inspections include Lincoln automobiles — exported from the US by automaker Ford — pork, apples, logs and pet food.

A delegation led by Liu He, China’s vice premier, is due to arrive in Washington next week for a second round of trade talks with US officials. Last month the Trump administration threatened to impose  punitive tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese industrial exports in retaliation for alleged intellectual property theft. China responded by provisionally targeting $50bn of US exports for retaliation.