Countervailing duty on liquor chargeable from import date — SC

New Delhi, Dec 14: "The countervailing duty is chargeable at the rate prevailing on the date of actual import of the consignment into the State irrespective of the duty as in force at the time of obtaining the permit," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice A S Anand said in a recent ruling.

Government imposes countervailing duty on certain items in addition to the customs duty to ensure that the imported items were not cheaper than the domestic goods.

Aristocrat Agencies, Hyderabad, got an import permit on January 31, 1991 and subsequently on February 6, 1991 got three more such permits to import liquor.

However, before consignment of liquor was actually imported on the strength of those permits, the Government on February 8, 1991 enhanced the rate of countervailing duty from Rs 45 per litre of the strength of proof liquor to Rs 70.