No urgency to put retaliatory tariffs on US, says Indian official

India on Tuesday informed the WTO that the safeguard measures by the US would affect $7.6 billion exports by India into the United States

India notifying the World Trade Organization (WTO) on its intention to retaliate against the steel and aluminium safeguard duties by the US is procedural, and is only meant to reserve the right to take counter-measures, a commerce ministry official said on Tuesday.

 

“We had to file the notification by May 12 as the 30-day deadline was ending on that day. India had requested consultation with the US at WTO on the matter on April 11. Other countries like the UK (May 9) and Japan (May 12) also have filed their notifications to the WTO on the matter. Since we are engaged with the US for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA), there is no urgency to retaliate,” the official said, requesting anonymity. 

India on Monday informed the WTO that the safeguard measures by the US would affect $7.6 billion exports by India into America, on which the duty collection by Washington would be $1.91 billion. “Accordingly, India's proposed suspension of concessions would result in an equivalent amount of duty collected from products originating in the US,” the notification added. 

India had imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products — ranging from almonds and apples to chemicals — in June 2019 after Washington removed India from its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and continued its steel and aluminium tariffs. That action, which covered about $240 million in trade value, marked India’s first use of WTO-sanctioned retaliation. The duties were withdrawn in September 2023 after both countries agreed to resolve six ongoing WTO disputes, including this one. 

Ajay Srivastava, founder of Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said much now depends on Washington’s response. “India’s move reflects a broader shift: a willingness to assert itself within global trade rules to protect its economic interests,” he added.