Reply to India at WTO: US says tariffs on aluminium & steel goods not safeguards

New Delhi: The US Thursday told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that its tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum products were for national security purposes and are not safeguard measures.

In response to India seeking consultations with the US under the WTO's safeguard agreement last week, Washington said: "These actions are not safeguard measures and, therefore, there is no basis to conduct consultations under the Agreement on Safeguards with respect to these measures".

On March 8, 2018, the US promulgated safeguard measures on certain steel and aluminium articles by imposing 25% and 10% ad valorem tariffs respectively on such products with effect from March 23, 2018. On February 10, 2025, it revised the safeguard measures on imports of steel and aluminium articles, effective March 12.


India said the US failed to notify the WTO Committee on Safeguards on taking a decision to apply safeguard measures and as an affected member with significant export interest, it has requested consultations with Washington.

In its response, the US said the tariffs are "necessary to adjust imports of steel and aluminum articles that threaten to impair the national security of the US". The US had given a similar response to the EU's request on consultations on these safeguard measures.

"These actions are not safeguard measures and, therefore, there is no basis to conduct consultations under the Agreement on Safeguards with respect to these measures," it said. The consultations request comes amid the US imposing additional 10% reciprocal tariffs on India and other countries except China.