China called the ban "indiscriminate" and is urging closer cooperation between the two trading partners.
"China cannot accept the indiscriminate and automatic detention of four kinds of Chinese seafood by the United States" said Li Changjiang, the head of China's top quality watchdog, according to the Associated Press.
Li said that the problem lies with only a handful of Chinese companies.
Three types of fish: catfish, basa, and dace, as well as shrimp and eel have been ordered to be detained by the Food and Drug Administration after repeated testing showed contamination with drugs unapproved for use in farmed seafood.
Officials said there have been no cases of illness and the food does not pose any immediate threat.
This latest ban on Chinese products comes on the heels of many others. U.S. federal regulators have found lead paint in Chinese-made toy trains, defective tires have been imported, and toothpaste from China was found to contain diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient commonly found in antifreeze.
Li, the head of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, pointed out that U.S. products also had to be turned away. Earlier this week, China seized shipments of orange pulp and dried apricots from the U.S. after finding high levels of bacteria and preservatives.
Li has said that both countries had quality issues with some exports and they should work closely to resolve them.
