Under the WTO regime, Japan again lost in arbitration over complaints brought by foreign countries. WTO rulings are more enforceable, so within 15 months of the ruling Japan raised taxes on sake and somewhat lowered tariffs on imports of hard liquor. Nonetheless, by hemming and hawing, Japan put off raising taxes on sake for more than a decade.
到了 WTO 時代，日本又被告敗訴，這回因為 WTO 的判決帶有強制性，因此日本在十五個月的限期屆滿前才把進口烈酒關稅降了一些，前前後後，日本在保護燒酒事業上，延緩了燒酒稅增加十幾年。