Press Release: EU requests second WTO arbitration on its revised proposal for the banana import regime

The European Union on 26 September 2005 submitted a request for a second arbitration on its proposal for a new import tariff for bananas from countries benefiting from Most Favoured Nation status. The European Commission said that it had carefully analysed the award from the first arbitration. It was confident that its revised proposal for an import duty of €187/tonne for MFN suppliers and a tariff quota of 775,000 tonnes at zero duty for bananas originating in ACP countries were to maintain market access for MFN suppliers and an equivalent level of preference for ACP suppliers as the current regime. The intention remained to have a tariff only system in place on 1 January 2006.

• Primary Source

WTO: Trade Topics: Dispute Settlement: Dispute DS158, European Communities - Regime for the Importation, Sale and Distribution of Bananas http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds158_e.htm

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