NEW DELHI: India, the world’s biggest buyer of US almonds, raised import duties on the commodity by 20 per cent, a government order said, joining the European Union and China in retaliating against President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes on steel and aluminium.

New Delhi, incensed by Washington’s refusal to exempt it from the new tariffs, also imposed a 120pc duty on the import of walnuts in the strongest action yet against the United States.

The move to increase tariffs from Aug 4 will also cover a slew of other farm, steel and iron products.

It came a day after the European Union said it would begin charging 25pc import duties on a range of US products on Friday, in response to the new US tariffs.

India is by far the largest buyer of US almonds, purchasing over half of all US almond shipments in 2017. A kilogram of shelled almonds will attract duty of as much as 120 rupees ($1.76) instead of the current 100 rupees, the Commerce Ministry said.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018