India’s customs duties on 29 US products in retaliation to higher aluminium and steel tariffs extended to May 2

The Finance Minister of India has reportedly notified that the retaliatory customs duties on 29 US products have been extended, yet again, till May 2, 2019. This is perhaps the seventh time that the Indian government has postponed the duties. Earlier, the deadline was on April 1.

Since June 2018, the government is extending the deadline to impose customs duties on the US in retaliation to the higher tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on certain imported aluminium and steel products. India is pushing the dates as the two countries are negotiating a trade package to boost bilateral commerce.

However, earlier in March, the US decided to remove Indian exporters’ incentives that were being provided for exporting certain goods under the Generalised System of Preferences programme. The expected date of the incentives withdrawn is May 2 onwards.

The Indian government is reportedly considering sending delegation to the US early next month for holding discussions to resolve all trade-related issues.

India is urging the United States for exempting them from heavy metal duties, resuming export benefits under the GSP programme, and giving them greater market access to products from agriculture, automobile, automobile components, and engineering sectors. The US, on the other hand, is also asking for greater market access through cuts in import duties for agriculture goods, dairy products, medical devices, IT and communication items.