United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced December 15, 2009, that the United States and the European Union (EU) have initialed an agreement designed to lead to settlement of a longstanding dispute over the EU's bananas trading regime. In the agreement, the EU undertakes not to reintroduce measures that discriminate among bananas distributors based on the ownership or control of the distributor or the source of the bananas, and to maintain a non-discriminatory, tariff-only regime for the importation of bananas.

2009: USTR Ron Kirk Announces U.S.-EU Agreement On Longstanding Bananas Dispute (Dec 15, 2009) | Statement on U.S.-EU Beef Hormone Agreement (May 14, 2009) | Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Attends G8 Agriculture Ministerial on Food Security (Apr 20, 2009) | U.S. Trade Representative's Office Announces Delay of Trade Action in Beef Hormones Dispute (Mar 12, 2009) (Beef Delay Notice) | Record Number of Farmers Growing Biotech Crops (Feb 19, 2009)

GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION

2009: USTR Challenge to EU Restrictions on Poultry Exports (Jan 16, 2009) | USTR Announces Revised Trade Action in Beef Hormones Dispute (Jan 15, 2009)

U.S. Ambassador to the EU Kristen Silverberg spoke to the COPA COGECA Congress of European Farmers 2008 at the European Parliament in Brussels on September 30, 2008. Her remarks focused on agricultural trade, strengthening food security in the developing world, and the need for greater regulatory cooperation throughout the transatlantic economic relationship.

2008: United States Wins WTO Dispute Against EU Bananas Program (Nov 26, 2008) | Ambassador Silverberg Discusses U.S.-EU Farm Trade, Ag Issues (Sep 30, 3008) | U.S. Wins WTO Dispute against EU’s Discriminatory Bananas Preference Program (May 19, 2008) | U.S., EU Discuss Investment, Poultry at Second Transatlantic Economic Council Meeting (May 13, 2008) | Panel Finds EU Ban on Hormones Remains WTO-Inconsistent (Mar 31, 2008) | U.S. to Evaluate EU Progress on Biotech Approvals, Temporarily Suspends WTO Sanctions Process (Jan 14, 2008)

2007: New Transatlantic Economic Council Works to Dismantle Regulatory Barriers (includes joint statement) (Nov 9, 2007) | U.S. Requests WTO Panel to Review EU’s Banana Import Regime (Jun 29, 2007)

2006: World Trade Agency Upholds Challenge of European Biotech Ban (Sep 29, 2006) | U.S., European Commission Renew Biotech Task Force (Jun 12, 2006) | United States Streamlines Import Restrictions on EU Swine (May 20, 2006) | U.S. at WTO on Aircraft Subsidies, Dumping, Geographical Indications and Bananas (Apr 21, 2006) | U.S., EU Ministers Reaffirm Positions on WTO Negotiations (Feb 22, 2006)

2005: Report of U.S.-EU Seminar in Lille on Emerging Biotechnologies (Dec 4-5, 2005) | United States "Disappointed" with EU Banana Tariff Proposal (Dec 2, 2005) | EU Certification Requirement on Corn Gluten An Overreaction (Apr 15, 2005) | U.S.-EU Agreement on Brown Rice Reached in Trade Dispute (Feb 28, 2005)

2004: Senator Grassley Concerned at EU Actions on Trade Dispute (Nov 19, 2004) | U.S. Lists Concerns at WTO Trade Policy Review of the EC (Oct 25, 2004)  

2003: U.S. Requests WTO Panel to Consider European Biotech Bans (Aug 18, 2003) | U.S. Remains Committed to Partnership with "United Europe" (Jul 22, 2003) | U.S. Trade Rep Says EU Blocking Promise of Biotech Food (May 21, 2003) | U.S. Officials Confident of Winning WTO Biotech Case (May 15, 2003) | USTR Says WTO Biotech Ban Case Aims to Quell Fears (May 14, 2003) | USTR's Zoellick Says Spreading Fear Forced WTO Biotech Challenge (May 13, 2003) | USTR Details Urgency of Ending EU Ban on Biotech Food (May 13, 2003) | U.S., Others Filing WTO Challenge to EU Ban on Biotech (May 13, 2003) | Foreign Trade Standards Often Ignore Science, U.S. Group Says (May 6, 2003) | EU Biotech Ban Based on Fear, Not Science, House Leader Says (Mar 26, 2003) | Zoellick, Lamy Discuss U.S.-EU, International Trade Agenda (Mar 5, 2003)

2002: U.S., EC Reach Agreement on American Grain Exports (Nov 12, 2002 ) | EU Welcomes Lifting of U.S. Ban on Spanish Clementines (Oct 22, 2002) | U.S. Seeks Voluntary System on Wine, Spirits Naming Rights (Sep 20, 2002) | Europe, U.S. Can Act in 'Enlightened Mutual Self-Interest' (Jun 6, 2002) | Zoellick, Lamy With Media (Jan 29, 2002) | Agriculture's Veneman on the Precautionary Principle, Subsidies, (Jan 7, 2002)

2001: Zoellick, Lamy Press Briefing in Brussels (Dec 21, 2001) | State Dept.'s Larson on U.S.-EU Cooperation, Biotechnology (Dec 13, 2001) | As EU Takes Steps on Bananas, U.S. Lifts Sanctions on EU Products (Jul 2, 2001) | U.S.-EU Statement on Resolution of Banana Dispute (Apr 11, 2001) | U.S. Representative to EU Morningstar on U.S.-EU Relations (Jan 29, 2001)

2000: WTO Rejects EU Claim against U.S. Tariffs in Banana Dispute (Dec 11, 2000) | U.S. Agriculture Department Official on EU Beef Hormone Ban (Sep 26, 2000) | Chronology: U.S. Disputes with EU Over Bananas, Beef Hormones; "Carousel" Retaliation Announcements Expected (Jul 5, 2000)

1999: Arbitrator's Final Report on Bananas Dispute (Apr 6, 1999) | A Primer on Beef Hormones (Feb 26, 1999)