“We recommend that India bring such measures into conformity with its obligations,” the WTO panel‘s report said.
The WTO had set up dispute settlement panels to decide on New Delhi’s move to levy 10% customs duty on mobile phones and some other ICT products for the first time in July 2017 which it increased to 15% that year. The duties were further increased to 20% despite opposition from a number of WTO members. The EU, US, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Canada, Japan and Thailand initiated consultations with India on the matter claiming that the move substantially affects them.
The US, Turkey, the UK, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, Korea, China, Canada and Indonesia were some of the third parties to the dispute, implying that they are neither the complainants nor respondents but have a substantial interest in the matter.
In July 2020, the Geneva-based organisation set up two more panels, taking the total number of panels to three.