WTO Rules in Favor of U.S. on Banana Imports

In a final ruling, the World Trade Organization on Tuesday upheld a U.S. complaint that the European Union’s banana import system violates trade rules.

The three-member WTO panel confirmed the rulings of a preliminary report and ordered the EU to change its import system, according to trade officials in Geneva who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The ruling had been predicted, given the outcome of the preliminary report earlier this month. Nonetheless, it will still come as a blow to small producing countries in Africa and especially the Caribbean, which are heavily dependent on revenues from banana exports.

The complex EU system favors the import of bananas from member nations’ overseas territories and former colonies through tariff quotas and licensing restrictions.