Banana producers from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries could face more woes if a deal put together by the European Union (EU) and their banana producing rivals in Latin America, prevail.
The bi-lateral deal between the EU and Latin American banana producers aims to cut the EU’s import duty from the current 178 euros a tonne to 114 euros by 2016, following an initial cut to 148 euros in 2009.
But, according to Cameroon Trade Minister Luc Magloire Atangana Mbarga, speaking on behalf of banana exporters in the former European colonies in ACP countries, the deal was not acceptable as currently laid out.
The ACP group of countries have countered with their own proposal and says Atangana Mbarga, “We will block the (WTO) negotiations if our latest counter proposal is not accepted”.
Meanwhile, some long standing observers of one of the world’s oldest trade disputes warn that, reducing EU import tariffs further for Latin America’s bananas could wipe out ACP banana crops and make these countries even more vulnerable.
Bananas are a main export for many countries in Latin America and the ACP countries.
