1.   The EU last year took Japan to the WTO for allegedly applying higher tax rates on European alcohols compared with equivalent Japanese liquors.

2.   The ruling sent shares of some Japanese liquor manufacturers lower.

3.   The EU has long complained Japanese liquor taxes discriminate against imports from Europe, especially whiskey.

4.   The new tax rates are aimed at correcting the taxation gap between imports and Japanese traditional liquor, which has drawn complaints from Europe and the United States.

5.   No date had been set for bringing Japanese liquor taxes into line with the international norm, Kubo added.