Even while India and the US resumed trade talks on Tuesday, the US has declined India’s request for discussions at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding Washington’s 50 per cent tariffs on copper and its derivative products, saying the tariffs are not safeguard measures as claimed by New Delhi.
“The United States is not maintaining this action pursuant to the safeguards / emergency action provision...and the Agreement on Safeguards (AoS). These tariffs are, therefore, not safeguard measures, and there is no basis to conduct consultations under the AoS with respect to these measures,” the US told the WTO.
India had sought consultations with the US earlier this month under the WTO agreement on safeguards.
Also Read: India challenges US tariffs on copper at WTO
This is the third time that the US has refused such consultations with India after imposing the 50 per cent tariffs on copper imports from August 1 under Section 232 of its Trade Expansion Act. It had previously rejected India’s consultations on high tariffs on steel and aluminium and automobiles and auto components’ imports.
Section 232 authorises the US president to adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives that threaten to impair the national security.
The chief negotiators of India and the US met in New Delhi on September 16 to iron out major differences impeding the stalled bilateral trade agreement between the two countries as they hurry the onset of negotiations to finalise the pact before the end of the year,
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