The Ministers made clear the fundamental importance of the system for the security and viability of their banana exports.  Banana production in the Windward Islands is the dominant contributor to employment, rural income and export earnings and the export trade is vital for their continued economic stability and well-being.  They expressed their dismay that this case had been brought by the U.S. as well as an earlier one by Ecuador.  They expressed the hope that the Panelists will take account of the overwhelming legal arguments in favour of safeguarding the vulnerable and fragile industry of the Windwards.  In addition, they reaffirmed their position that all countries regardless of size have the right to participate in the multilateral trading system.  The Panel has an obligation to respect and uphold that right and do nothing that would force their countries from the market thereby denying them their only significant export. 

In a joint statement issued after the meeting they declared:- "The EC is our only export market.  Our banana producers work on small farms and the geography of our countries rule out the development of the huge plantations that exist in our competitors in Latin America.  Without a preference, we cannot hope to hold onto our small share of the EC market and without this trade we will lose a key source of foreign exchange and the vital link provided by the regular arrival of banana boats will disappear.  This would be a catastrophic blow to our hopes of development.  We cannot understand why the U.S. should be taking such a case, especially at the very time when negotiators are trying to put the final touches to the Doha Development Round.  In that Round negotiators have recognised that special attention should be paid to the concerns of small vulnerable economies but we see little sign of this in the current proceedings."