Banana wars: the anatomy of a trade dispute

Book abstract:

An agreement between the European Union (EU) and the US which criticised the distribution of import licences to European banana buyers, heralded an end to the rage of the so-called 'banana wars' (circa. 1993-2001). These import licences were considered to have been squeezing South American and Caribbean banana suppliers out of the market, and this book, amongst other important issues examines, in particular, the impact of the trade wars on small Caribbean banana suppliers like those in the Windward Islands and their dependency on maintaining exports to Europe. It is a work which deals with the trade wars in all their complexity and far-reaching implications for the political and economic relationships on both sides of the Atlantic.

The work is separated into ten chapters from different contributors, including an introduction and conclusions from the editors. After the introduction, chapter two provides a summary of the overall state of the banana market throughout the world, pointing out that bananas are natural to South-East Asia. Chapter three looks at the European involvement in the market and chapter four deals with Europe's common banana policy, while chapters five and six deal, respectively, with the trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. In chapter eight there is an evaluation of US interests in the banana wars and chapter nine, preceding the conclusions, explores the matter in terms of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) recent dispute settlement.

The book is aimed at those involved in agricultural trade and international policy on commerce.