India has formally sought World Trade Organization (WTO) consultations with the United States over Washington’s new tariff-rate quota on quartz surface products, opening another trade dispute between the two countries as bilateral negotiations continue.
The US measure, introduced through a presidential proclamation signed on July 31, 2026, took effect on August 15. It imposes additional duties on imported quartz surface products, with shipments above specified quota limits facing a substantially higher tariff.
During the first year, imports within the quota are subject to an additional 25% duty, while quantities exceeding the quota face an additional 50% duty. The tariff rates and quota volumes are scheduled to change over the four-year period of the safeguard measure.
India told the WTO that it has a “substantial interest” in the US safeguard action and requested consultations under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards. New Delhi has proposed that the consultations be conducted virtually at a mutually convenient time.
The US imposed the measure following a finding by the US International Trade Commission that increased imports of quartz surface products were causing serious injury to American producers. Several countries have been excluded from the US safeguard measure, but India is not among the exempted trading partners.
The dispute is particularly important for India’s quartz industry because the US is a major export market for Indian quartz surface products. Industry representatives have estimated India’s annual quartz exports to the US at more than $700 million, making the new tariffs a significant concern for manufacturers and exporters.
The latest action marks India’s fourth recent WTO challenge involving US trade measures under the safeguards framework. Previous consultations have covered US measures affecting steel and aluminium, automobiles and auto components, and copper products.
The WTO consultation process provides an initial opportunity for both countries to resolve the dispute through discussions. If consultations fail to produce a settlement, India could consider further action under the WTO dispute-settlement framework.
The quartz dispute adds to broader trade tensions between India and the US and could put additional pressure on Indian exporters that rely heavily on the American market. For the quartz industry, securing relief from the tariff quota or finding alternative export destinations will remain key priorities as the new US restrictions take effect.