EU whines in bad spirit
The European Commission recently said it is lodging a complaint with wto over India's import regime for spirits and wines. The commission said India's trade barriers to imports of spirits and wines are in breach of international trade rules.
The decision follows an investigation carried out in the framework of the eu's Trade Barriers Regulation at the request of the eu spirits and wines industry. It had concluded that access to the potentially large Indian market for spirits and wines is severely restricted due to a high duty burden and restrictions on retail distribution in certain Indian states. The eu spirits and wine industry has been concerned about the additional duties levied on top of high central basic customs duties, as it raises the total duty burden.