India Seeks WTO Consultations On Safeguard Duties By US On Quartz Exports
India said it had a “substantial interest” in the measure and wanted to review the information submitted by the US, exchange views on the safeguard and protect its WTO rights. India proposed virtual talks at a mutually convenient time, but no date has been fixed
Chennai: India has sought WTO consultations with the US, which has imposed safeguard duties of 25 per cent to 50 per cent in Indian quartz exports. India’s $233.3 million exports of quartz surface products are facing the duties from August 15.
India said it had a “substantial interest” in the measure and wanted to review the information submitted by the US, exchange views on the safeguard and protect its WTO rights. India proposed virtual talks at a mutually convenient time, but no date has been fixed.
The US industry had filed its petition against Indian quartz imports in September 2025. The US notified the WTO of the investigation in December, the USITC found serious injury in April 2026, and the President announced the safeguard on July 31. However, India submitted its request for WTO consultations only on August 14, 2026, one day before the US safeguard took effect.
The safeguard duties will be in place till August 14, 2030. Imports within the quota face an additional 25 per cent duty, while those above it face 50 per cent. Quartz countertop slabs that normally enter duty-free will therefore face tariffs of 25% to 50%. Covered glass products, which already attract a 5% tariff, will face total duties of 30% to 55%. Antidumping and countervailing duties may be charged on top of these rates.
The safeguard duties are levied on Indian and Chinese, while those from Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and several small developing-country suppliers are exempt.
The US bought 72.5 per cent of India’s quartz surface-product exports in FY2026. They are used for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, flooring and wall cladding.
“When more than 70% of an industry’s exports depend on one market, even a single trade measure can cause lasting damage. Indian producers may therefore need to diversify into Europe, the Gulf and other markets,” said GTRI.
According to GTRI, India may question whether the US established increased imports and serious injury under WTO rules. It may also challenge the representative period, quota size, absence of an India-specific allocation, cumulative duties and different treatment of excluded suppliers. India’s immediate objective may be an exclusion or negotiated country arrangement, alongside transparent quota administration.