Press Release: U.S. Government and European Commission reach agreement to resolve long-standing banana dispute

The United States Government and the European Commission reached an agreement, on 11.4.01, to resolve their long-standing dispute over bananas. The new regime will provide a transition to a tariff-only system by 2006. During the transition, bananas will be imported into the European Union through import licenses distributed on the basis of past trade. In the past, two European Union banana regimes were challenged successfully in the World Trade Organization, prompting United States retaliation against EU products. From 1.7.01, the United States will suspend the sanctions imposed against EU imports since 1999.

• Primary Source

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/01/135&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/01/135&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/trade/miti/dispute/bana.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/trade/miti/dispute/bana.htm

---