India has sought consultations with the World Trade Organisation against US imposing tariffs as high as 50 per cent on certain copper exports from India.
"India considers that the measure, although claimed to be taken for security interests, are, in essence, a safeguard measure," it said in a communication to the Geneva-based global trade watchdog on Tuesday, arguing that the US did not notify to WTO its decision on the safeguard measure.
On July 30 this year, the US had adopted a measure to impose 50 per cent tariff from August 1, 2025, on all imports of certain copper products. India retaliated, saying it will reserve its right to impose retaliatory duties on select US goods in response to the US tariffs on steel, aluminium, and auto components.
On the US’s failure to notify the WTO Committee on Safeguards on taking a decision to apply the safeguard measure, it communicated further, saying, “Accordingly, as an affected member with significant export interest to the United States in the products concerned, India requests consultations with the United States.”
Also Read: US rejects India’s retaliatory tariffs claim under WTO rules
A safeguard measure is a temporary levy to protect domestic industry from a sudden surge in imports. Typically, such an action requires prior probe. However, the US administration has cited emergency powers vested with the president to impose tariffs on most countries.
Apart from reciprocal tariffs, Trump has imposed product-specific duties such as those on copper, iron and steel and aluminium products as well as automobiles and auto parts.
Previously, the US rejected India’s claims that the duties on steel, aluminium, and auto parts are also safeguard measures under the WTO rules. India then notified the Geneva-based 166-member trade body that it is reserving rights to impose retaliatory duties against these tariffs.
Copper is an important raw material for electric vehicles, power grids, semiconductors, and defense electronics. Indian think tank, GTRI, had stated in July that while the US had imposed 50 per cent protectionist tariffs, India charged only 2.5 per cent import tariff on copper ore and concentrates, 5 per cent on refined copper and copper alloys, and 10 per cent on certain copper articles.
In FY 2025, India exported copper products such as plates, tubes, and other semi-finished forms valued at $360 million to the US. On the other hand, India imported copper worth $14.45 billion in 2024-25 from mainly Chile, Indonesia, and Australia. It also imported $288 million of copper scrap from the US, which may now become less viable due to disrupted bilateral copper inflow.
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