The US government is behind the World Trade Organisation's bid to persuade India to lower trade barriers on wine. The Wine Institute represents over 1000 Californian wineries & supports a recent US government request to the WTO to reduce 'India's prohibitive duties on US wine & distilled spirits,' said Joe Rollo, spokesman for the WI. India imposes 'multiple layers' of additional duties on imports of wine & distilled spirits, Rollo said 'on top of its basic custom duties'. This results in total duties between 150 & 550%, despite its WTO commitment that tariffs not exceed 150%. A reduction in tariffs would really open the potentially explosive opportunity in the world's largest democracy. India is considered an important emerging market for wine, for both the US & Europe, but high tariffs 'have suppressed sales there to date,' according to a press release from the Wine Institute. The European Union requested WTO action on the same issue last year.
