Colombia Targets US Dairy Subsidies While EU and India Seek Resolution on Tech Tariffs

Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce established a provisional countervailing duty of 4.86% on milk powder imported from the United States, according to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and El Espectador. The ministry’s investigation concluded that US agricultural subsidies allow American exporters to sell milk powder at artificially low prices, causing material injury to Colombia’s domestic dairy sector.

The decision by Colombia’s Ministry of Commerce to target US milk powder imports reflects growing concerns regarding the impact of foreign agricultural subsidies on local farming communities. According to the ministry’s findings, the provisional countervailing duty is necessary to counteract the price advantages enjoyed by US exporters due to domestic subsidies. However, US trade representatives and dairy industry groups expressed disappointment with the decision, arguing that the provisional measures violate existing free trade agreements between the two nations.

Meanwhile, efforts to resolve other long-standing trade disputes are underway elsewhere. On June 14, 2026, the European Union and India entered bilateral discussions to resolve their dispute over India’s import tariffs on information and communications technology (ICT) products, as reported by Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Economic Times.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) previously ruled that India’s tariffs on items such as mobile phones, integrated circuits, and telecommunications equipment violated its global trade commitments. The EU and India are currently exploring a mutually agreed solution to avoid formal retaliatory measures, demonstrating a preference for bilateral negotiations over protracted trade litigation. By seeking a mutually agreed solution, both Brussels and New Delhi hope to establish a stable regulatory environment for technology trade without resorting to damaging retaliatory tariffs. These cases underscore how both agricultural and technological sectors remain highly sensitive to government interventions and international trade rules.