Press Release: WTO panel report confirms that the Philippines’ tax regime discriminates EU imports of distilled spirits

The WTO panel report confirms that the excise tax applied on distilled spirits in the Philippines discriminates against imported spirits and is therefore in violation of the principle of non-discrimination enshrined in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The EU had raised the issue with the Philippines repeatedly over the past years without success, and WTO consultations held with the Philippines in Manila in October 2009 had failed to lead to a satisfactory solution.

European Commission: Memo/11/556: Questions and Answers on the final WTO panel report in the case brought by the EU and the US against the Philippines over discriminatory taxation of distilled spirits http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/556&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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