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EEPC India Demands Steel and Aluminum Products in US Trade Talks
10 Nov
Summary
- EEPC India calls for including MSME steel and aluminum products in US trade deal
- Seeks to maintain current tariff structure in India-EU FTA negotiations
- Requests "special support package" to offset 30% tariff differential with US competitors
On November 10, 2025, EEPC India, the engineering exports promotion body, has called for the inclusion of key steel and aluminum products, primarily from MSMEs, in the ongoing bilateral trade agreement (BTA) negotiations with the United States. The group has formally raised the exporting community's concerns with the government's FTA negotiating teams.
EEPC India Chairman Pankaj Chadha stated that the 50% tariff imposed by the US under Section 232 has significantly hampered engineering exports, making it imperative to address this issue in the BTA talks. He suggested a "special support package" to absorb at least 15% of this differential to help secure India's market position in the US.
Regarding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, Chadha expressed concern over the EU's new proposal to reduce quotas and increase out-of-quota tariffs to 50%. He recommended maintaining the status quo in terms of both quota and the out-of-quota tariffs, with tariffs being phased out gradually once the pact is implemented.
