India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. ... - USITC
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L<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing Fees <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Educati<strong>on</strong>al Cess<br />
A 1 percent l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing fee is levied <strong>on</strong> the c.i.f. value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all imports, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> a 3 percent<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al cess (surcharge) is charged <strong>on</strong> agricultural imports <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> domestically<br />
produced products. Revenue from the educati<strong>on</strong>al cess c<strong>on</strong>tributes to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al budget. The 3 percent educati<strong>on</strong>al cess is assessed <strong>on</strong> the aggregate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
customs duties payable, not the value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the good. The educati<strong>on</strong>al cess was established<br />
in the FY 2003/04 budget <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> increased from 2 percent to 3 percent in the FY 2007/08<br />
budget. Products with applied rates that equal the bound rate are exempt from the<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al cess, but the cess reportedly is charged <strong>on</strong> some agricultural products even<br />
when it pushes the effective tariff rate above the bound rate (box 5.1). 69<br />
BOX 5.1 The Impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tariffs</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Additi<strong>on</strong>al Fees <strong>on</strong> Wine Retail Prices<br />
High tariffs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> additi<strong>on</strong>al fees levied at the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n border substantially increase the retail price <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> U.S. wine<br />
in the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n market. The applied tariff (150 percent) is assessed <strong>on</strong> the c.i.f. value plus a 1 percent l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing<br />
charge. Other fees are added as shown below (table A). The applied tariff <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the additi<strong>on</strong>al fees together<br />
increase the total cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a $10 bottle <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> U.S. wine (c.i.f. value) to $26.73. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, the effective tariff<br />
rate <strong>on</strong> wine is 167.3 percent. The resulting disparity between retail prices <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> imported wine in the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<br />
market <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> retail prices for the same bottle in the United States illustrates the impact <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> high tariffs <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al fees. For example, a 750 ml bottle <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Blossom Hills Chard<strong>on</strong>nay, a California wine, can be<br />
purchased for approximately $27 (1,344 Rs.) in Mumbai, while the suggested retail price in U.S. stores for<br />
the 1.5 liter bottle (which holds twice the volume) is $9.99. a<br />
TABLE A Cost structure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> wine imported into <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>, 2009<br />
C.i.f. value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> imported shipment $10.00<br />
L<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing charge (1% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c.i.f.) $0.10<br />
Assessible value (AV) (= c.i.f. + l<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ing fee) $10.10<br />
Tariff (150% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> AV) $15.15<br />
Educati<strong>on</strong> cess (3% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the assessed tariff) $0.45<br />
Total cost after tariff <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> educati<strong>on</strong> cess $25.70<br />
Special additi<strong>on</strong>al duty (4% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> total cost) $1.03<br />
Total cost including all duties $26.73<br />
Source: Commissi<strong>on</strong> staff calculati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
The additi<strong>on</strong>al fees for imported wines in <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g> have been adjusted in recent years. The additi<strong>on</strong>al customs<br />
duty, which was equivalent to the domestic excise tax <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> is charged <strong>on</strong> various other imported agricultural<br />
products, is no l<strong>on</strong>ger assessed <strong>on</strong> all alcoholic beverages. In July 2007, the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n government repealed the<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al customs duty after the European Uni<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> United States filed for WTO dispute settlement<br />
proceedings <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> claimed that the additi<strong>on</strong>al fees violated <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s WTO commitments by bringing its tariff rate<br />
above its maximum bound rate. However, following the removal <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the additi<strong>on</strong>al customs duty, the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<br />
government raised the tariff rate <strong>on</strong> wine from 100 percent to the bound rate <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 150 percent <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> gave states<br />
the power to institute “special fees” <strong>on</strong> alcohol products. b<br />
______________<br />
a A 750 ml bottle <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Blossom Hills Chard<strong>on</strong>nay is not marketed in the United States. Price calculated<br />
using the average exchange rate in May 2009 <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> $1 to 49 Rs.<br />
b United States Trade Representative, “WTO Appellate Body Reverses Panel <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Finds in Favor <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
United States,” October 30, 2008; JBC Internati<strong>on</strong>al Inc., Comprehensive Study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n Wine Market,<br />
August 21, 2008, 18.<br />
69 JBC Internati<strong>on</strong>al Inc., Comprehensive Study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <str<strong>on</strong>g>India</str<strong>on</strong>g>n Wine Market, August 21, 2008, 18.<br />
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