NewsWhore
12-11-2006, 04:40 PM
Serious lobbying by Caribbean and African nations is attempting to maintain the old quota system of banana imports into Europe. The old system kept the Dominican Republic out in the cold. The intensity of the lobbying reveals just how important this market is for the world's banana producing nations. Apparently, Belize, St. Lucia and some African ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) members are trying to obtain "a rapid return to the old system" of quotas and licenses for exporting bananas to the European Community. Their argument is that this will "support the countries that are most vulnerable to being left out of the market." Part of the problem stems from the existence of what is called the Banana-Dollar Region, where Chiquita Brands, Dole and Del Monte have huge holdings, mainly in Central and South America. These nations export over 2.2 million tons of bananas to Europe, and currently pay a EUR176 tariff per ton of fruit. Defenders of the old system told Dominican ambassador Federico Cuello Camilo that they could export their entire crop under preferential treatment. Unfortunately, the Dominican Republic was not included in the old system.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)