1.   For the U.S. banana companies though, the EU import regime is designed to protect European companies importing bananas.

2.   European Commission President Jacques Santer has asked U.S. President Bill Clinton not to impose trade sanctions to punish the European Union for its banana import regime.

3.   The banana growers say their exports to the EU have dropped by half in the past two years, and want the import regime scrapped.

4.   The move pushed the United States closer to punishing the Europeans for their banana import regime which Washington says is discriminatory.

5.   The United States on Wednesday told the European Union it would impose trade sanctions next year unless the Europeans reform their banana import regime to its satisfaction.

6.   Washington alleges the new EU banana import regime is unfair to South American distributors, most of which are owned by U.S. companies.

7.   Washington argues the new EU banana import regime is unfair to South American distributors, most of which are owned by U.S. companies.

8.   Washington argues the new EU banana import regime unfairly favors imports from former European colonies.

9.   Vietnam has been raising its tariff walls to protect its manufacturers and to develop an import substitution regime, which so far has not been successful.

10.   The Caribbean Banana Exporters Association justified the import regime by saying their producers could not export their produce at viable prices in a completely unregulated market.