India launches WTO case against U.S. over steel duties

PanARMENIAN.Net - India has taken the United States to the World Trade Organization over duties on Indian steel products, according to a notice on Friday, April 13 in the latest commercial row between the nations, AFP reported.

The move by New Delhi came after Washington imposed duties of nearly 300 percent on Indian steel pipe imports, complaining they were unfairly subsidized.

"On 12 April 2012, India requested consultations with the U.S. under the dispute settlement system" over the duties, the WTO said in a notice on its website.

Consultations are the first step in the WTO's complaints process, giving parties a chance to resolve their dispute without litigation. If no deal is reached after 60 days, the complainant can ask a WTO panel to adjudicate.

The steel row is the latest in a string of commercial disagreements between the two countries at the global trade body, with India last week challenging a visa fee hike for skilled workers.

India said the move discriminated against its flagship software firms who sending professionals to the U.S. on short-term contracts.

Last month, the United States initiated a challenge to New Delhi's ban on poultry and egg imports, saying it violated global trade rules. India insisted it was a necessary protection against avian flu.

The disagreements have soured the bullish mood that followed the 2010 visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to India that led to a raft of trade deals.