India seeks WTO consultations with US over 50% tariff quota on quartz surface imports

Synopsis

India has sought consultations with the US at the World Trade Organization over Washington’s tariff-rate quota on quartz surface products, effective August 15 for four years. India, which exported about $380 million of these products to the US in FY26, said it has a “substantial interest” in the matter.

India has approached the WTO for consultations with the US over its new tariff-rate quota of up to 50% on quartz surface product imports, escalating trade tensions as both countries negotiate a broader trade deal. (Representative image)

New Delhi: India has sought consultations with the US at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Washington's tariff-rate quota on imports of quartz surface products, which came into effect on August 15 and will be in place for four years.

New Delhi told the WTO on August 14 that it has a "substantial interest" and proposed that the consultations take place virtually as per mutual convenience of both sides. India exported about $380 million worth of such products to the US in FY26. Washington had named India, Vietnam, Spain and Thailand as the major exporters of these goods. "India would like to propose that the consultations mentioned above take place virtually as per mutual convenience of both sides," India told the WTO last week as it sought consultations under the WTO agreement on safeguards.

US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on July 31 to impose a tariff-rate quota on imports of up to 50% on quartz surface products from several countries following a determination by the US International Trade Commission that the imports of quartz surface products have increased in quantities sufficient to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly competitive products.

This would be the fourth case where India has sought such consultations with Washington after steel and aluminium, automobiles and auto components, and copper imports.

WTO norms don't allow imposing safeguard measures from developing countries where a single country accounts for less than 3% of the total subject imports, as long as products originating in those low-import-share developing nations collectively do not exceed 9% of imports.

The development comes after the US imposed a 10% tariff on India under a Section 301 probe on forced labour and is also in the process of enacting legislation that would see tariffs of up to 100% imposed on India among five countries for being the top importers of Russian oil and gas. Both sides are also negotiating a trade deal.

Last week, the US named India with 40 other countries as part of a "shadow trans-shipment network" that allegedly allows Chinese goods to bypass US tariffs and announced plans to deploy AI to identify and crack down on such shipments.