Agence France Presse
PANAMA CITY, Oct 17 (AFP) - A group of Latin American nations, with the exception of world number one banana producer Ecuador, were debating Tuesday how to protect themselves against the European Union's new banana import regime.
Ministers from the Central American nations, plus Colombia and Venezuela from South America, gathered here at Panama's invitation to discuss the EU's new "first come, first served" banana import regime.
"We are analyzing the issue; we hope to arrive at a concrete and emphatic ministerial resolution," Panama's Trade Minister Joaquin Jacome told AFP.
The protesting nations believe that the new import system will favor producers with better and faster shipping capabilities.
The system "will force banana prices down and create serious uncertainties for fruit producers and dealers," the Costa Rican Foreign Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
A communique is to be issued at the end of the meeting, which was also attended by World Trade Organization (WTO) representatives. A high ranking diplomat attended on behalf of Venezuela.
The EU approved a new banana import strategy on October 9, after it failed to reach a compromise with third countries on the traditional quota system.
From April 2001 the EU will use a combined tariff-quota system for five years, switching in January 2006 to a tariff-only system.:
