Also. . .

* The World Trade Organization effectively postponed a showdown in the U.S.-European Union dispute over bananas by suspending clearance for Washington to impose hefty sanctions on EU goods. The U.S. welcomed the decision, saying the sanctions could start in March unless Europe changed its banana trade regime. U.S. Trade Representative senior negotiator Peter Scher said there will now be a 30-day arbitration period to look at the scale of the sanctions, which the U.S. says should amount to $520 million a year and hit a wide range of European goods from pork to sweaters.