BELGIUM/COSTA RICA: EUROPEAN UNION ASK WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION TO RULE ON BANANA IMPORT POLICY.

Record ID: 989276

  • Title: BELGIUM/COSTA RICA: EUROPEAN UNION ASK WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION TO RULE ON BANANA IMPORT POLICY.
  • Date: 15th December 1998
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, DECEMBER 15, 1998 (EBS - NONE) 1. GV: NEWS CONFERENCE BY EUROPEAN UNION TRADE COMMISSIONER SIR LEON BRITTAN 0.05 2. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITTAN "However hard we may wish to avoid it, it is difficult to imagine that if this dispute continues we can really avoid the negative repercussions on the broader relationship between Europe and the United States. Let us not forget that 78 per cent of bananas imported into the European Union come from Latin America already and 62 percent of total European consumption is of Latin American bananas. If I may say so, American banana traders don't seem to be doing too badly out of the present set- up" 0.47 3. MV: JOURNALISTS 0.51 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITTAN "The United States is expected to publish today a definitive list of the retaliatory measures which it proposes to introduce on or by the 3rd of March next. The details are not yet available but the indicative list published last month from which the final list will be derived threatened unilateral 100 per cent tariffs on a range of European products which have no connection with bananas. The selection of these products was entirely arbitrary. " Such measures would threaten companies and jobs right across Europe's economy. Against the broader background of the importance of the relationship between Europe and the United States, I urge the United States, even at this late hour, not to publish that list today. If they do so I am afraid it will be further evidence of an unwillingness to pursue the agreed multilateral dispute settlement process" 1.56 5. SV: BRITTAN NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 2.01 UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, COSTA RICA (FILE) 6. GV/MV: BANANAS BEING HARVESTED AND PREPARED FOR EXPORT (6 SHOTS) 2.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th December 1998 12:00
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  • Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, COSTA RICA
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium Costa Rica
  • Reuters ID: LVA79UBWBPF95TJL6U2KJEJTNBXU
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  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS - SOURCE TO BE VERIFIED
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