Tariff on Scotchhigh, laments EU

New Delhi: KEEPING up the pressure on India for bringing down duties on wines and spirits, the UK has asked the country to lower its import tariffs on Scotch whisky. The demand made by visiting UK trade minister Ian McCartney in his interaction with commerce & industry minister Kamal Nath comes close on the heels of a complaint lodged by the European Union at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the high import tariffs charged by India on alcoholic beverages.

Speaking to ET, Mr Mc Cartney said that the tariffs on Scotch (over 200%) was very high and there was an urgent need to resolve the problem. While the broad issue of tariffs on wines and spirits has been taken up by the EU at the WTO, the UK wants to pursue the issue of market access for Scotch on a bilateral basis. “It is important that the market barrier for Scotch is removed. India is working in the direction. We want the issue to be resolved fast,” Mr Mc Cartney said.
Urging India to liberalise its legal services sector is also high on the trade minister’s agenda. Mr Mc Cartney said that he wanted to persuade India to allow legal services firms to set up shop in India. “Liberalisation has to happen both ways,” he said.

The minister pointed out that the UK and India were engaged in one of the most profitable and significant bilateral trade and investment partnerships in the world, with bilateral trade in goods and services for 2005 recording a 20% growth totalling £7.9 billion over the previous year. Mr Mc Cartney is accompanied by a high-level business delegation including representatives from British Gas, Halcrow and SERCO.