US may impose duties on Indian steel imports

NEW DELHI: The Trump administration may impose antidumping duty and countervailing duty on imports of stainless steel flanges from India citing unfair pricing of these products even as the two countries chalk out a way to resolve their bilateral trade issues.

The US Department of Commerce on Monday “determined that exporters from India have sold stainless steel flanges in that country at 19.16-145.25% less than fair value”. It also determined that India is providing countervailable subsidies to its producers of stainless steel flanges at rates ranging from 4.92-256.16%.

In 2017, imports of stainless steel flanges from India were valued at an estimated $44 million. Flanges age used to connect pipes and pumps to form a piping system. “These levies need to be seen independent of the two countries’ ongoing bilateral issues,” an official in the know of the development said.


The two sides have been embroiled in a series of disputes, including some at the multilateral level of the World Trade Organization. Last week, India decided to defer the imposition of higher tariffs on 29 American imports worth $235 million in retaliation to the US move to levy 25% duty on certain steel products and 10% on aluminium products from India.