Japan threatens India with WTO over steel amid trade fears

Tokyo

JAPAN is threatening to take India to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over restrictions that nearly halved its steel exports to the South Asian nation over the past year, a step that could trigger more trade spats as global tensions over steel and other commodities run high.

Such action is rare for Japan. The world's second-biggest steel producer typically tries to smooth disputes quietly through bilateral talks, but with global trade friction increasing, Japan's defence of an industry that sells nearly half of its products overseas is getting more vigorous.