WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government Tuesday requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with India over customs duties India imposes on imports of American wine and distilled spirits.

    On top of its basic customs duties, India imposes an "additional duty" and an "extra additional duty" on imports of wine and distilled spirits, resulting in aggregated duties on these imports that range from approximately 150 to 550 percent, said the U.S. Trade Representative Office in a statement.

    "In the WTO, India committed that its tariffs on wine and spirits would not exceed 150 percent," the statement added.

    "With its fast-growing middle class, India could be an important export market for American wines and distilled spirits if not for these layers of duties," said U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab.

    "We have raised this issue with the Government of India on several occasions over a number of years. We hope the matter can be successfully resolved in WTO consultations," she added.

    Between 2000 and 2005, the U.S. exports of wine and spirits worldwide averaged approximately 630 million dollars and 633 million dollars, respectively, making the U.S. the world's sixth largest exporter of wine and third largest exporter of spirits.