SMU Data and Models

US, India Reach Trade Accord Involving Steel
June 22, 2023
The US and India have agreed to end six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO), some directly involving steel, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Thursday.
Also, USTR Tai said that India has agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs, which it had imposed as a response to the US Section 232 national security measures on steel and aluminum, among other products.
“As a result of our work, US agricultural producers and manufacturers will now enjoy renewed access to a critical global market and we will strengthen our trade relationship with one of our closest partners,” Tai said in a press release.
She added that the resolution “maintains the integrity of the US Section 232 measures.”
The WTO disputes can be found below. Three were initiated by India and three by the US.
- US – Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India (DS436)
- India – Certain Measures Relating to Solar Cells and Solar Modules (DS456)
- US – Certain Measures Relating to the Renewable Energy Sector (DS510)
- India – Export Related Measures (DS541)
- US – Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminum Products (DS547)
- India – Additional Duties on Certain Products from the US (DS585)
The announcement comes as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US for an official state visit.
SMU will delve into the agreement in further depth in the coming days.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
Latest in SMU Data and Models

Service centers: Mill orders recover in June
SMU’s Mill Order Index (MOI) rebounded in June after declining for three straight months. The gain complemented a modest boost in service center shipments for the month, according to our latest service center inventories data.

Apparent steel supply remained high in May
The volume of finished steel entering the US market remained elevated in May, in line with April figures, according to SMU’s analysis of Department of Commerce and American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) data

June service center shipments and inventories report
Flat rolled = 55.8 shipping days of supply Plate = 59.4 shipping days of supply Flat rolled US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply edged down in June with a modest boost to shipments month on month (m/m). At the end of June, US service centers carried 55.8 shipping days of flat roll supply, down from […]

SMU Scrap Survey: Sentiment Indices rise
Both current and future scrap sentiment jumped this month, though survey participants reported responses before key trade news was announced.

SMU Survey: Sentiment splits, buyers have better view of future than the present
SMU’s Steel Buyers’ Sentiment Indices moved in opposite directions this week. After rebounding from a near five-year low in late June, Current Sentiment slipped again. At the same time, Future Sentiment climbed to a four-month high. Both indices continue to show optimism among buyers about their company’s chances for success, but suggest there is less confidence in that optimism than earlier in the year.