I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1361
To bar the imposition of increased tariffs or other retaliatory measures
against the products of the European Union in response to the banana
regime of the European Union.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 25, 1999
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. BONIOR,
Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. FATTAH,
Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DAVIS of
Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. KIL-
PATRICK, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr.
OWENS, and Mr. TOWNS) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To bar the imposition of increased tariffs or other retaliatory
measures against the products of the European Union
in response to the banana regime of the European Union.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States Trade Representative
announced on March 3, 1999, a decision to impose
contingent liability for 100 percent duties and begin
withholding liquidation on imports of selected prod-
ucts from the European Union in response to alleged
harm caused by the banana regime of the European
Union.
(2) The United States does not export bananas,
and no jobs in the United States have been lost as
a result of the banana regime.
(3) The Caribbean countries that benefit from
the banana regime of the European Union comprise
less than 10 percent of the European market.
(4) Chiquita Brands is the only company that
claims to have been harmed by the banana regime,
and Chiquita Brands’ market share in Europe is
nevertheless much larger than that of the Caribbean
countries that benefit from the banana regime.
(5) The sanctions being imposed will affect a
wide variety of imports enjoyed by consumers in the
United States, including certain swine meats,
cheeses, sweet biscuits, bath preparations, candles,
handbags with plastic surfaces, paperboard, cash-
mere sweaters and vests, cotton bed linen, lead-acid
storage batteries, and electrothermic coffee and tea
makers.
(6) Consumers who purchase these products
could face significantly higher prices or shortages,
and the companies that import these products could
face significant revenue losses and possible job losses
as well.
(7) The European Union is likely to retaliate
for these sanctions, placing prohibitive duties on an
unknown variety of United States exports and caus-
ing a trade war.
(8) Retaliatory sanctions on United States ex-
ports could threaten the viability of numerous
United States businesses and put countless Ameri-
cans out of work.
(9) Most of the countries that benefit from the
banana regime are small Caribbean democracies,
and banana exports are vital to their economic, so-
cial, and political stability.
(10) Without a viable banana industry, thou-
sands of Caribbean farmers would have no means of
support for their families.
(11) Displaced banana farmers in the Carib-
bean region could turn to the production of illegal
drugs as an alternative means of economic support,
causing an increase in illegal drug trafficking into
the United States.
(12) Displaced banana farmers in the Carib-
bean region could also attempt to emigrate to the