A dispute lost

India has received an unfavourable ruling at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in a case brought by several of its trading partners about Customs duties imposed by the government on the import of telecommunications equipment, including mobile phone handsets. India was originally taken to the dispute resolution panel of the WTO by the European Union (EU) after Brussels determined that the duties of 20 per cent on mobile phones, for example, breached existing agreements. Other major partners and participants in the supply chain, including Japan and Taiwan, subsequently joined the EU in its complaint. The WTO tribunal determined that the ordinary Customs duties were above those “set forth and provided in India’s WTO Schedule”. India’s case rested on various technical grounds about the updating of the product designations in the various schedules. However, there is little doubt — especially given the timing of complaints about this updating, and other