Shipment of dollar bananas to EU in years 2006-2008

Their market share has never been so large, reaching 73.4% in 2007, 5.4% up on 2006 on an import market that increased by 7%. Brazil (- 6%) and Guatemala (- 12%) were practically the only suppliers to show signs of weakness. The position of Ecuador in the EU stabilised, with shipments displaying a 1% decrease. However, it just maintained its lead over Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama. The three latter countries displayed two-figure growth at + 21%, + 16% and + 13% respectively. Peru and Honduras also scored better with + 48% and + 40%. These trends are sometimes related to the choice of target market that differs from one year to the next. For example, Colombia's position dwindled considerably on the United States market (- 20%) and it therefore chose to concentrate on the EU. The case was precisely the opposite for Guatemala which, after a disastrous European season in mid-2006, returned to the United States market.

Ecuador cumulated deficits in both the USA and the EU and concentrated more on the Russian market. Finally, Honduras and Costa Rica played in both courts, proving their substantial production potential expressed in 2007. As regards regulations, the question of the European customs tariff is still the exciting subject. The EU has been condemned twice, to the benefit of Ecuador (end of 2007) and then the United States (beginning of 2008). This does not make much difference to the banana imbroglio. Customs dues are still set at 176 EUR per ton for these origins in 2008 and are very likely to remain so until the end of the year. In these hard times for European budgets, the member states and the Commission can still share the 680 million EUR in customs revenue.