You are a member of a World Trade Organization task force that is reviewing the nine-year banana conflict between the United States and the European Union (EU). The EU was giving preferential treatment to banana exporters from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific island nations. But the United States challenged what it saw as unfair trading practices and the World Trade Organization agreed. The U.S. action gained support from global fruit companies Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte, which account for nearly two-thirds of the fruit traded worldwide. The EU argued it was supporting struggling economies for which bananas make up a large portion of their income.
1. Should international trade be left to private enterprise only, or should governments openly manage it to benefit poorer nations?
2. Would you have argued on behalf of the United States or the EU? Explain.
3. What are the pros and cons of each side's arguments?