The US' move to block appointments to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its tariff hike on steel and aluminium were criticized at the informal WTO ministerial in New Delhi, reports Mint.

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The country, however, did not budge from its stand where it said that the appellate body should make its judgments voluntary rather than mandatory and signaled that it wants to remain engaged with other countries on the matter at the WTO.

An Indian diplomat source told the daily that the key difference between talks among members at the 11th WTO ministerial at Buenos Aires and New Delhi is that the U.S. remained engaged this time.

The seven-member appellate body now has only four left. If the U.S. continues to block new appointments, by January 2020 only one member will be left in the body which will shut down the dispute settlement mechanism.