De sydamerikanske eksportører måtte længe se deres konkurrenter i de gamle europæiske kolonier, fortrinsvis i Afrika, slippe billigere i told, når deres bananer skulle ind i EU – men det bliver der lavet om på over en årrække.
An international trade dispute over bananas dating back two decades has finally been settled, BBC online reports Thursday.
The European Union and ten Latin American countries signed an agreement to formally end eight separate World Trade Organisation (WTO) cases.
The head of the WTO Pascal Lamy called it a truly historic moment.
The formal agreement followed the EU agreeing in December 2009 to gradually reduce the tariffs (importtold) on Latin American bananas.
Latin American banana exporters had long protested against EU tariffs designed to protect small growers in former European colonies in Africa and the Caribbean.
“It has taken so long that quite a few people who worked on the cases, both in the secretariat and in member governments have retired long ago,” Mr Lamy said.
The December 2009 agreement involved the EU reducing its tariffs on imported bananas from 176 euros per tonne to 114 euros per tonne within eight years.
