Now Japan drags India to WTO over high import duty on smartphones

NEW DELHI: Japan has filed a complaint before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), claiming that India has imposed higher-than-permitted duties on smartphones, base stations and circuit boards, besides their components.

The Japanese representatives at WTO, in their filing, have sought consultations with India, a first step to taking up a case before the dispute settlement court.

“The Government of India has continued to adjust the rates of various indirect taxes, including custom duties, in support of policies seeking to foster domestic production and value addition,” Japan’s complaint said.

It said that ever since India announced its ‘Make in India’ campaign in September 2014, it has “continuously and systematically raised import duties on a wide range of products in various sectors”.