India is seeking to impose higher duties on certain products imported from the US in retaliation to US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
The extension of Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imports by the US would impact $7.6bn of Indian imports into the US, India said in a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) dated 9 May and circulated on 12 May.
The duty collection on the products would amount to $1.91bn and India's retaliatory measures would result in an equivalent amount collected from imports of US products into India, according to the WTO notification.
India said that the "safeguard" measures by the US are not in line with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and the agreement on safeguards.
India in April had requested consultation with the US on the reimposition of tariffs. As the consultations did not take place, India has the right to "suspend concessions or other obligations," which could result in higher duties on imports of certain goods from the US, the notification said. The document did not mention the specific products on which retaliatory duties have been proposed.
Indian steel exports to the US are now subject to 25pc safeguard tariffs coupled with anti-dumping and countervailing duties, making it difficult for Indian suppliers to compete in the US market. Indian products exported to the US are also subject to a 10pc baseline tariff imposed by US president Donald Trump on 5 April.
India is currently in the process of negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US. Indian representatives met US officials in Washington in late April, following bilateral discussions held in New Delhi in March.
