Fearing backlash at WTO, India rules out import duty hikes for copper, iron

Despite repeated requests from industry, govt does not want to raise levy on inbound metals

Fearing backlash at the World Trade Organization (WTO), India has ruled out any import duty hikes for commodities such as aluminium, iron ore, and copper, in the short term.

As the trade war between the United States and China has drastically altered global supply lines, domestic metal manufacturers as well as user industries have sent repeated requests to the commerce department to secure their businesses, often accompanied by threats of job losses across sectors.

“Imports have risen year on year for iron, steel, aluminium and copper for a variety of reasons. While specific investigations on forcible dumping will