India has lifted additional duties on eight US origin products, including apples, walnuts, and almonds, following the resolution of six World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes through Mutually Agreed Solutions in June 2023. The additional duties, imposed in 2019 as retaliation for US tariffs on certain steel and aluminum products, have been withdrawn after the US agreed to provide market access to these products. However, the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty on these products remains at 50% for apples, 100% for walnuts, and Rs 100 per kg for almonds.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has also applied a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs 50 per kg for apples from all countries except Bhutan, including those from the US. This measure is intended to protect against low-quality apple dumping and predatory pricing in the Indian market.
The move is expected to encourage competition in the premium market segment for these products and ensure better quality at competitive prices for Indian consumers. It levels the playing field for US apples, walnuts, and almonds, which had seen a decline in market share as other countries benefited from the additional retaliatory duties imposed on US imports.
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