Indian Official Says USTR Claims Are A New Narrative Targeting One Specific Country

The Indian government has rejected US Trade Representative (USTR) claims of excess capacity in steel and textile sectors, calling them a “new narrative” aimed at targeting a specific country. Amitabh Kumar, Additional Secretary & Director General, Directorate General Of Trade Remedies said India does not have overcapacity, pointing to very low per capita consumption of both steel and textiles compared with global averages. Officials also said overcapacity is not covered under WTO trade remedy rules. The remarks come amid US investigations under Section 301 and broader trade tensions involving tariffs and anti-dumping duties impacting India’s exports and trade policy stance.