WTO meets on banana wars

WTO meets on banana wars

AN URGENT MEETING of the World Trade Organisation's General Council will take place in Geneva today at the request of the European Union. The move follows a US decision last week to force importers of European products ranging from cashmere to pecorino cheese to post a bond worth 100 per cent of the value of their goods. It was the latest round in the banana wars, a row over access to European markets for bananas imported by the US company Chiquita from Latin America. The WTO has postponed a decision on the dispute until 12 April, and the EU argues that America must wait until then before imposing any sacntions.