India has joined the United States and 13 other economies in a joint ministerial statement calling for action on structural excess manufacturing capacity. The statement was signed on October 7 on the sidelines of the OECD Trade Committee, following G20 trade ministerial talks in Milwaukee.

The 15 signatories — including the EU, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, the UK, Canada and Australia — agreed to work through sector-specific platforms on excess capacity in automobiles, batteries, chemicals, semiconductors and solar panels. The statement calls for ending non-market policies that distort markets.

The move comes with a complication. India is separately among 16 economies facing a US Section 301 investigation, launched in March, into whether excess capacity is linked to government policies that harm US commerce. The October 7 statement is distinct from that probe.

Experts say New Delhi must balance cooperation with its own manufacturing ambitions. No tariffs or quotas were announced. India has maintained that its industrial capacity serves both domestic and global demand.