European Union and Latin American countries end 15 years of banana Wars

People's Daily December 16, according to news from Brussels, the European Union and Latin American countries reached an agreement yesterday to end 15 years of the so-called "banana war" trade dispute. The ambassadors of the two sides reached the agreement at a meeting of the World Trade Organization in Geneva.　　It was published in a communiqué by the European Commission. Under the agreement, which is thought to be a boost to the Doha round of world trade liberalisation, the European Union will gradually reduce the import of banana tariffs from Latin American countries, from now € 176 per dozing to € 114 in 2017, and will further reduce tariffs after all parties have signed an agreement. Latin American countries are committed to withdrawing from the World Trade Organisation's appeal for the EU, some of which were introduced in 1993, as they pledged not to demand more tax cuts until the EU stopped cutting taxes before resuming the Doha round. The 27 countries of the European Union will continue to support producers in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, and they can receive duty-free treatment and a share of European markets under trade and development agreements. The EU has pledged to stop tax cuts within the framework of the Doha round and will have several years to adapt to competition.　　The European Commission will allocate € 200 million from its budget to the major export countries to adapt to fierce competition. At the same time, the EU, ACP and Latin American countries agreed to lower tariffs on other products over a relatively long period of time in the context of the current DOHA negotiations. The European Union and the United States have made a commitment to Washington to eliminate the dispute with the European Union over bananas in the World Trade Organization. The EU has signed a deal with Latin American countries after the Council's agreement. Then passed by the European Parliament. The President of the European Commission, Barroso, said the commitments reached now are an important encouragement to the multilateral system. EU Trade Commissioner Wadner that the agreement is an important impetus to the Doha round process and the multilateral trading system. The head of the World Trade Organization praised the long-standing dispute over banana trade between Latin American banana producers, the United States and the European Union. From a technically politically sensitive point of view, the deal was one of the most complex issues in the World Trade Organization. (Tang Yanzhong)