Deal or no deal, Trump’s 2018 steel tariffs may stay

The proposed India-US bilateral agreement (BTA) is not likely to resolve the fraught issue of American tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium, two people directly involved in the process said, days to go before the deadline for the first phase of the deal.

- Dhirendra Kumar

The two sides have been racing against time to dust off the deal before president Donald Trump's 9-July deadline for countries to offer lower tariffs on US goods.

The duties—now raised—are set to remain in force after the agreement, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

“As a formal political green signal is awaited from Donald Trump following the approval of the deal’s terms by the US Trade Representative, the longstanding duties on Indian metal exports—50% on steel and 50% on aluminium—will not be rolled back in this round of negotiations,” said the first person cited above.