US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in goods and launched disputes with most key US trading partners over the past three years.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants to avoid policies that make it difficult for other countries to do business with the United States -- even as his administration has done precisely the opposite.

Trump has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars in goods and launched disputes with most key US trading partners over the past three years, but in a lengthy Twitter thread, the president said, "We don't want to make it impossible to do business with us. That will only mean that orders will go to someplace else."

"The United States cannot, & will not, become such a difficult place to deal with in terms of foreign countries buying our product, including for the always used National Security excuse, that our companies will be forced to leave in order to remain competitive," he tweeted.

Trump appeared to be directing his tweets at hardliners in his White House, referring to a proposal to block General Electric from selling jet engines to China.

"I want China to buy our jet engines, the best in the World," he said. "I have seen some of the regulations being circulated... and they are ridiculous."

US officials are considering denying a license to CFM International, a joint venture between GE and France's Safran SA, to export more of its jet engines to China, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the discussions.

The report said the aim was to cripple development of China's Comac airliner.