BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Commission says it has filed an appeal at the World Trade Organization against a ruling that found European import tariffs for bananas unfairly discriminated against Latin American countries.

The European Commission says the WTO ruling did not take into account evidence that Latin American suppliers had seen a 10 percent increase in market access in recent years.

The announcement Thursday is the latest move in a longstanding trade dispute over how many bananas the 27-nation bloc lets in from Ecuador and other countries that do not have preferential trade ties with the EU bloc.

The WTO said in May that Brussels breached trade agreements by favoring imports from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states, many former French and British colonies.

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