WTO sets up a dispute panel on India’s import duties on ICT products
NEW DELHI: The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday, agreed to a second request from the EU to establish an adjudication panel over India’s customs duties on imports of certain information and communications technology (ICT) products, including mobile phones, taking the dispute up a notch.
However, New Delhi stopped the complaints by Japan and Chinese Taipei to setup panels
While the EU asked India to agree to establish a single panel to review the three complaints, India said it was disappointed with the EU request. Since India had blocked the EU’s request for a panel in February, it can’t do so a second time as per WTO rules.
China, the US, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Canada, Turkey, Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, and Pakistan reserved their third-party rights to participate in the proceedings.
Consultations on the issue took place last year but failed to settle the dispute prompting the EU’s request for a panel.
As per a Geneva-based trade official, the EU said it sought to address the matter with India through consultations but without success, with 400 million euros in annual ICT exports to India affected by the duties.
