The White House on Wednesday condemned Turkey's doubling of tariffs on U.S. imports in response to Washington's moves on imports of Turkish goods.

Tensions between the two NATO allies have been strained amid Turkey's detention of an American pastor and other diplomatic actions. The United States doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum last week, which contributed to a tumble in the Turkish lira.

"The tariffs from Turkey are certainly regrettable and a step in the wrong direction. The tariffs that the United States placed on Turkey were out of national security interest. Theirs are out of retaliation," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.