Banana trade between the Caribbean and Europe has a history which goes back to the turn of the century; but that trade is now under threat of extinction as a result of the European Community's drive to complete the Internal Market after 1992. This article begins by providing a brief history of the trade in bananas between the Caribbean and the EC (principally the UK), and the benefits and disbenefits this trade has had for the Caribbean. The structure of the banana market in Europe is examined, the existence of protected trade to compensate for the Caribbean's higher production costs is explored, and the warning signs that a problem with this protectionism was imminent are indicated. The article concludes with a description of the current political difficulties which attend the attempts to establish a common trade regime for bananas in Europe which would allow for the survival of the Caribbean industry, and the responses to the problem by various Member States.