US wants to participate in Indo-Japan dispute

US has requested the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to allow it to participate in consultations between India & Japan on the tariffs levied on IT products on the grounds that many of its products are exported to India.

Tokyo has accused New Delhi of charging excess duties to boost local manufacturing. These tariffs, Japan argued, ran counter to India’s commitment of charging them at 0% (according to the IT Agreement, 1996). India has defended its move by arguing that the identified IT and telecom products on which import duties have been imposed did not exist in the present form in the agreement that was signed. Therefore, they fall outside its purview.