YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Turkey has doubled tariffs on some U.S. imports, such as passenger cars, alcohol and tobacco, in what its vice president Fuat Oktay said was a response to deliberate U.S. attacks on the Turkish economy, Reuters reports.

A decree published in Turkey’s Official Gazette and signed by President Tayyip Erdogan, doubled the tariffs on passenger cars to 120 percent, on alcoholic drinks to 140 percent and on leaf tobacco to 60 percent.

Tariffs were also doubled on goods such as cosmetics, rice and coal.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had authorized higher tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey.

The move comes amid increased tension between the two NATO allies over Ankara’s imprisonment of a pastor and other diplomatic issues, which has sent the lira tumbling to record lows against the dollar.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan