India challenges US tariffs on quartz products at WTO, fourth such trade dispute

India has sought consultations with the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Washington’s tariff-rate quota on imports of quartz surface products, marking the fourth recent instance of New Delhi challenging US trade measures under the WTO’s safeguards framework.India has proposed that the consultations be held virtually at a mutually convenient time, according to its communication to the WTO.The latest move follows similar consultations sought by India over US measures affecting steel and aluminium, automobiles and auto components, and copper products.US imposes tariff-rate quota on quartz productsUS President Donald Trump on July 31 signed an order imposing a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on imports of quartz surface products from several countries, including India, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam. The measure is slated to remain in place until August 2030.Under a tariff-rate quota, imports up to a specified quantity face one tariff rate, while shipments above that threshold attract a higher duty. In the case of quartz surface products, tariffs on imports exceeding the quota can rise to as much as 50%.The measure followed a determination by the US International Trade Commission that increased imports of quartz surface products were a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry.India has significant exposure to the US market in this category, having exported around $700 million worth of quartz surface products to the country in FY26.Latest friction in India-US trade tiesThe quartz dispute adds to a growing list of trade issues between India and the US even as the two countries continue efforts to negotiate a trade agreement.The US has imposed a 10% tariff on imports from India and 59 other countries following a Section 301 investigation. Washington is also considering legislation that could impose tariffs of as much as 100% on countries that continue to import Russian crude oil.Trade tensions have also widened beyond tariffs.A White House report released on August 13 named India among countries allegedly being used to route Chinese goods into the US to avoid higher tariffs.The 25-page report, titled The Great Transshipment Scam: Rise, Scope, and Costs, was prepared by the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, headed by Peter Navarro.It argues that Section 301 tariffs imposed on China since 2018 reduced direct Chinese exports to the US but also encouraged the development of what the report calls a “Shadow Transshipment Network.”According to the report, Chinese goods are allegedly being relabelled, repackaged, re-invoiced or subjected to limited processing in lower-tariff countries before being exported to the US under a different country of origin.The report cites estimates of annual transshipment or related exposure ranging from $40 billion, according to Goldman Sachs, to as much as $303 billion, according to supply-chain intelligence company Altana.India’s decision to seek WTO consultations over quartz products therefore adds another point of contention to an increasingly complicated trade relationship, even as New Delhi and Washington continue negotiations aimed at reaching a broader trade deal.

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