European banana producers are joining forces with their counterparts in African-Caribbean-Pacific countries in a global campaign to try and keep the €176 per tonne EU banana import tariff. The tariff could be under threat following action last week by Ecuador to take the regime to an extraordinary meeting of the disputes settlement body of the World Trade Organisation.

Members of the European Banana Producers Association, Apeb met on Monday with sector representatives from Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire to work on a joint strategy, president of Apeb Leopoldo Cólogan told the press. The organisation was also hoping to meet this week with the French farm minister, Dominique Bussereau so that he might head up the effort.

Cólogan now hopes that producers in French overseas territories and departments as well as Spanish growers in the Canary Islands and Portuguese farmers in the Azores and Madeira will sign a joint declaration with the 70 ACP countries in a world-wide campaign that will explain “on a world level and country by country” why the €176 a tonne tariff and preferential ACP access should remain.

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