Chiquita Brands, the American fruit company behind the US-led assault on Europe’s protection of fragile Caribbean banana producers, has lost a bid for damages against the European Commission for standing in its way.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The European Court of Justice (ECJ) threw out Chiquita’s case, telling it to pay its own and the Commission’s legal costs. The company claimed compensation over the European Union’s (EU) banana protection regime from 1993-8, which helped guarantee EU markets for Caribbean bananas, but was found in breach of World Trade Organisation rules.


However, the court found this was not illegal under EU law. Brussels was not bound to follow exact “means” when complying with WTO agreements.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact