US Defends Import Duty On India At WTO

New Delhi: The US has informed the global trade body WTO that the decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium, was based on national security grounds and should not be considered as safeguard measures, according to a communication.

The US shared this response with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after India requested consultations under the WTO’s Safeguards Agreement on April 11 with America. India has said that notwithstanding the USA’s characterisation of these measures as security measures, they are in essence safeguard measures.

It has also stated that America has failed to notify the WTO Committee on Safeguards under a provision of the Agreement on Safeguards (AoS) on taking a decision to apply safeguard measures.