The European Union has welcomed the United States' decision to suspend the increased customs duties it imposed on certain EU exports in 1999 as a result of a long-running dispute over bananas.
The decision means increased duties have now gone down to the level of ordinary customs duties on imports of EU products including bath oils, car batteries, bed-linen, handbags and wallets.
European Trade Commissioner Mr Pascal Lamy said in a statement to day : "This is great news for European exporters.
"A whole cluster of products that had attracted prohibitive duties will once more be available to American consumers at normal prices. We solved this problem, and we showed that we can work together to manage trade disputes in a business-like manner. This is a very good signal at a time when we are working together on launching a New Round of global trade negotiations."
The United States imposed increased duties on imports of a variety of European products worth US$191.4 million on 19 April 1999 after the World Trade Organisation found against the EU in a dispute over EU restrictions on banana imports.
The US and EU agreed on a means of resolving the dispute on 11 April 2001, as a result of which the increased duties will now be lifted. Normal rates will apply from now on.