India hits back at US with higher import tariff
India has increased the customs duty on several goods, including Bengal gram, lentils and artemia—a kind of shrimp—imported from the United States with effect from August 4.
The import duty on chickpeas and Bengal gram has been increased to 60 percent and for lentils it has been raised to 30 percent, the Indian finance ministry said in a notification.
The duty on boric acid and binders for foundry moulds has been hiked to 7.5 percent while that on domestic reagents was raised to 10 percent.
The duty on artemia has been hiked to 15 percent.
The other products on which duties have been pushed up include certain kind of nuts, iron and steel products, apples, pears, flat rolled products of stainless steel, other alloy steel, tube and pipe fittings and screws, bolts and rivets.
However, there was no duty hike on motorcycles imported from the US. American President Donald Trump has more than once complained about India's steep import duty on Harley Davidson bikes from the US.
India submitted to the World Trade Organisation last week a revised list of 30 items on which it proposed to raise customs duties by up to 50 percent, in a move in retaliation to the duty hike by the US on certain steel and aluminium products which had tariff implication of $241 million on India.
The duty hike by India would have an equivalent tariff implication for the US, Indian officials said. They said additional customs duties have been imposed on 29 items.
On March 9, Trump imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items, a move that has sparked fears of a global trade war.
India has said the duty imposed by the US has affected steel exports by $198.6 million and aluminium shipments by $42.4 million.
India has also dragged the US to the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism over the imposition of import duties on steel and aluminium.
India exports steel and aluminium products worth about $1.5 billion to the US every year.
India's exports to the US in 2016-17 stood at $42.21 billion, while imports were $22.3 billion.
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