Pressure builds for hormone beef imports


08 April 1999


Pressure builds for hormone beef imports


THE European Union (EU) is expected to face further pressure to allow imports of hormone-treated beef after a World Trade Organisation ruling on its banana trade.


The EU was told this week that its banana import regime was incompatible with WTO rules following a complaint brought by the US.

The US had complained that the EUs preferential treatment of banana imports from former colonies unfairly disadvantaged banana producers in other countries.

The US had threatened punitive sanctions on a range of European exports in retaliation unless the EU changed its policy on banana imports.

One US senator quoted in the Financial Times said the WTO ruling showed countries could not skirt their agricultural trade obligations.

He said the ruling had “positive implications” for other potential trade disputes including hormone-treated beef, GM organisms and canned peaches.

  • Dispatches from the trade trenches, FWi, 24 March 1999
  • USA targets Europe over hormone beef, FWi, 3 March 1999

    • The Times 08/04/02/99 page 14, page 23 (Editorial), page 27
    • The Independent 08/04/02/99 page 12, page 3 (The Thursday Review)
    • Financial Times 08/04/99 page 1, page 6, page 12, page 27 (Editorial)
    • The Guardian 08/04/99 page 21 (Editorial), page 23, page 23 (Notebook)
    • The Daily Telegraph 08/04/99 page 29 (Editorial)
    • The Scotsman 08/04/99 page 2

  • See more