This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Ascer on the US-India Agreement: “It Teaches Us “, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
The Secretary General of the Spanish Association of Ceramic Tile and Pavement Manufacturers (Ascer), Alberto Echavarría, warned this Wednesday about the "volatility" of tariff policy following the announcement by the United States to reduce tariffs on India from 50% to 18%.
The US and India agreed on this measure last Saturday after the latter committed to buying oil from the former. It is another shift by the Trump Administration, which increases uncertainty in international markets.
“Undoubtedly, it is a worse position than the one we had, but it still guarantees us a slight advantage in terms of tariffs, because that 18% has to be added to the ad valorem tariff, which was between 8.5 and 10%, and also to the 3% they had set for anti-subsidy,” explained Echavarría.
The representative of the Spanish ceramic sector emphasized the need to prepare for possible negative scenarios.
“Nevertheless, what this agreement teaches us is that we have to be prepared for the worst possible scenario and that current tariff policy is tremendously volatile, meaning we have to be ready for whatever we might encounter,” he added.
Echavarría insisted that these measures "affect the competitiveness of the sector" and that the international context forces the Spanish industry to maintain "an adaptation strategy against unexpected changes" in tariffs that can impact the export of ceramic products.
India lost its first position as a supplier of tiles to the United States to Spain in the first half of 2025, doing so in a context already marked by Trump's announcements and with an advance in orders from Castellón's ceramics. The reduction of more than 60% to around 28% (18% plus the 10% ad valorem) places India's tariff above the tax in the EU (15%), but the margins are narrowing. And it must be taken into account that India sells there for an average of 5 euros per square meter while the Spanish price rises to 19 euros in this country. Furthermore, the US agreement coincides with the free trade treaty agreed between the European Commission and India, which leaves continental ceramics without protections. For this reason, the sector is calling on Brussels to promote commercial defense measures against unfair competition practices.
