Reserve right to retaliate: Govt on US levies

Minister of state for commerce tells Lok Sabha that India still “actively involved” in trade talks with US

- Rajeev Jayaswal

India reserves the right to retaliate against the US for imposing safeguard duties on steel, aluminium and related products, with Washington rejecting New Delhi's request for consultations as prescribed by the World Trade Organisation, minister of state for commerce Jitin Prasada told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The parliamentary statement came on a day US President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional punitive tariffs on Indian goods over continued Russian crude oil purchases, highlighting mounting tensions even as both countries remain “actively involved” in bilateral trade agreement discussions, according to the government.

“The United States did not accept India’s request for consultations under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards concerning US tariffs on steel, aluminium, and related derivative products,” Prasada said in a written reply to MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

The US has maintained that measures imposing 50% duties on steel and aluminium, plus 25% on automobiles and auto components, were introduced under Section 232 of domestic law on national security grounds rather than as safeguard measures requiring WTO consultation.