The trade truce between the US and China appears increasingly fragile, as both sides trade barbs just more than a week after sending markets into euphoria by pausing sky-high tariffs on one another.

China’s Commerce Ministry said Wednesday that it would take legal action against any organization or individual assisting the US in discouraging the use of China’s advanced semiconductors.

Earlier, the US Commerce Department had warned that using Huawei chips anywhere in the world would violate US export controls — before later removing the reference.

The back-and-forth casts a shadow over the trade thaw, as focus turns to broader dialogue amid the 90-day tariff pause. The "reciprocal" tariffs have already had profound effects on the countries' trade: Chinese shipments of Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and mobile devices to the US fell to their lowest since 2011 in April.

Meanwhile, the busiest container hub in the US, the Port of Los Angeles, saw shipments drop by as much as 30% in early May as President Trump’s tariffs took a toll. Importers and retailers, especially those linked to China, were among the most affected.

Businesses and leaders continue to warn about the early effects of the tariffs. JPMorgan (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said Monday that markets are underestimating the long-term impact of tariffs, calling the current duties “pretty extreme.” Citigroup’s (C) Jane Fraser echoed the concern, noting companies are delaying investments amid tariff uncertainty.

Last week, Walmart (WMT) also previewed coming price hikes, sparking a rebuke from Trump, who told the company to "eat the tariffs."

The warnings come as the Trump administration has ratcheted up its rhetoric over the last several days. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that tariff rates will go back to "reciprocal" levels if countries do not make trade deals with the US during the 90-day pause.

“President Trump has put them on notice that if you do not negotiate in good faith, you will ratchet back up to your April 2 level,” Bessent told CNN, highlighting the 18 key partners with whom the US is prioritizing trade deals.

Trump said Friday that the US will set tariff rates for its trading partners within the next few weeks. He said his administration cannot negotiate trade deals with all countries at once due to limited capacity.