India goes to WTO against US tariffs on copper imports

NEW DELHI: India had moved the World Trade Organisation, questioning the 50% tariff imposed by the Trump administration on certain copper products imported into the US.“India considers that the measure, although claimed to be taken for security interests, are, in essence, a safeguard measure,” it said in a communication to the Geneva-based global trade watchdog on Tuesday, arguing that the US did not notify to WTO its decision on the safeguard measure.A safeguard measure is a temporary levy to protect domestic industry from a sudden surge in imports. Typically, such an action has to be preceded by a probe. The US has cited emergency powers vested with the president to impose tariffs. Apart from reciprocal tariffs, Trump has imposed product-specific duties such as those on copper, iron and steel and aluminium products as well as automobiles and auto parts.India has sought consultations with the US at WTO in what could be a precursor to a formal dispute being initiated although Trump and his predecessors have made the dispute settlement mechanism useless.