Ecuador as a typical Latin American banana producer

1
Ecuador(as a typical Latin American banana
producer)

• Bananas are our 2nd largest export. Most of our
  trade is controlled by US companies. Only 5 of
  profits stay here.
• We need all the market share we can get. Other
  poor countries shouldnt prosper at our expense.
  On the other hand, neither should Chiquita.

2
US Trade Representative

• Governing body charged with protecting and
  promoting US business interests internationally.
• Whenever a US company complains, we investigate
  and whenever possible demand compliance of other
  countries with agreements that help US
  companies.

3
Windward Island Bananas

• Smallish, sweet. Grown on small plots, family
  farms, as supplemental income for non-farmers.
  Not giant plantations.
• We should have a market because we are grown in
  a fairer (if more costly) way, bringing in more
  benefit to our home countries than our Latin
  American counterpart.

4
Lomé Agreement

• Treaty signed in 1975 between the EU and former
  colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and the
  Pacific (ACP countries) to promote economic
  stability.
• Former colonies had a raw deal and were forced to
  give up their resources and development for
  imperial profit. Now theyre poor and the
  ex-imperialists feel some responsibility.

5
EU

• Powerful bloc of European countries trying to
  coordinate several (sometimes conflicting) trade
  agreements. Buys LOTSA bananas.
• We want to promote our interests through trade
  agreements AND provide assistance to our
  economically dependent former colonies.

6
Latin American Bananas

• The majority of bananas. Big, spotless, uniform
  and cheap.
• We are grown on huge plantations with
  sophisticated equipment, pesticides, fertilizers,
  and cheap laborers who get punished and sometimes
  shot for organizing unions.

7
Windward Islands

• Former British colonies in the Caribbean. Heavily
  dependent on bananas (60 of population would be
  affected if banana trade disappeared).
• We need a development strategy that will make us
  wealthier and more independent, not unemployed,
  broke, and at the mercy of Trans National
  Corporations (TNCs).

8
Chiquita

• We produce a superior product for a lower price
  in massive quantities. We lost a huge amount of
  potential profits when Lomé restricted our access
  to the EU.
• We are entitled to all the profit we can legally
  earn. The USTR should enforce our right to market
  access.

9
Brent BorrellWorld Bank Economist

• Wrote several reports on the banana trade used by
  the USTR and WTO in making decisions.
• Recommended dismantling protection for
  ex-colonies and replacing with direct development
  aid. Everyone comes out better off with free
  trade!

10
WTO Dispute Settlement Panel

• We try to reach agreement acceptable to all
  members about how to lower barriers to trade.
• We are still young ( 8 years) and somewhat
  dominated by the most powerful economies.
• We believe that lowering trade barriers will help
  all countries prosper, especially developing
  countries.