After initiating a complaint against United States’ steel and aluminium duties at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) last month, India has struck back by notifying higher customs duties on imported items from the US, including pulses, apples, almonds, walnuts and steel. The US has earlier introduced higher tariffs against several countries, including China. India on Thursday notified increased customs duty on 29 goods, including pulses and iron and steel products, imported from the US.
According to a Finance Ministry notification, the duty hike would come into effect from August 4. The import duty on chickpeas, Bengal gram (chana) and masur dal has been increased to 70 per cent from 30 per cent earlier, while that on lentil has been hiked to 40 per cent from 30 per cent. Shelled almonds imported from the US will now attract import duty of Rs 120 per kg as against Rs 100 per kg earlier. Almonds in shell will attract import duty at the rate of Rs 42 per kg as against Rs 35 per kg. The retaliatory tariff hike comes days after Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu’s visit to Washington where he met his US interlocutors.
