EU Considers Banning All U.S. Beef

The European Union is considering a ban on all U.S. beef starting June 15 because traces of growth hormones have been found in inspections of some imports, officials said. The EU also said it will not appeal a World Trade Organization’s ruling that its banana import policies are illegal. Since 1988, the European Union has imported only U.S. beef certified as hormone-free, a policy the WTO has ruled illegal. Next week, EU veterinary officials will consider a proposal to ban all U.S. beef because of the discovery of hormone residue in samples of imports. If they agree with the EU proposal, it will return to the European Commission for approval. A WTO panel ruled April 9 that the EU banana import system discriminated against fruit grown in Latin America in favor of imports from former European colonies in Africa and the Caribbean.