Press Release: European Commission disappointed with WTO arbitrators’ ruling against proposed banana import tariff

The European Commission announced that it would study carefully the implications of the decision taken by the World Trade Organisation’s arbitrators on 28 October 2005 to reject the proposed new import tariff for bananas. The European Commission had proposed a single tariff of 187 euros per tonne for bananas imported from countries – mainly in Latin America - enjoying Most Favoured Nation status, as well as a duty-free quota of 775,000 tonnes for ACP bananas, as from 1 January 2006.

WTO: WT/L/625, European Communities - The ACP-EC Partnership Agreement - Second Recourse to Arbitration pursuant to the decision of 14 November 2001, 27.10.05 http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/wtl625_e.pdf

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