NEW YORK. Sept 8: French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday attacked proposed new US punitive tariffs on European goods In long-running trade disputes over bananas and beef, says Reuters.

Chirac, whose country holds the presidency of the 15-nation European Union, said the attempt to Impose revolving tariffs was a form of 19th century gunboat diplomacy.'

"I am totally hostile to these American methods initiated by Congress, known in this case as the carousel, which are much closer to gunboat diplomacy than to 21st century diplomacy." Chirac told a news conference.

British officials said Blair had told US President Bill Clinton that any decision to impose retaliatory duties on goods from Britain would be "wholly unjustified."

White House officials said this week they would soon announce how the United States would revise Its retaliation on $308.2

million worth of European Union products In two separate trade disputes involving beef and bananas.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US authorities would announce within days a new list of EU products subject to 100 per cent tariffs and slap a 200 per cent rate on French mineral water and luxury Louis Vuiton luggage.

Chirac vowed France would not yield in the banana dispute "because we have Interests in our overseas territories which touch the lives of tens of thousands of people, and beca ise we intend to respect our duty towards African countries."

"It would bv a real pity if a few days before the EU-US summit, the climate of transatlantic relations. which is otherwise good, was burdened by actions that are clearly contrary to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules." he said.

A spokesman for Blair said the British leader detailed EU objec-

tions to possible punitive trade action by Washington in a meeting with Clinton late on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN Millennium Summit in New York.

The spokesman said Blair set out the EU's "current position for a potential resolution in conformity with" WTO rules and warned against US retaliation on British products such as cashmere clothing and shortbread.

He did not describe Clinton's response to Blair's plea, but said discussions were continuing.

The Clinton administration is considering adding Scottish cashmere to the list of goods hit with 100 per cent duties In the dispute over the EU’s banana Import regulations.

But the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that in deference to Blair, who' has lobbied Clinton on the issue, any Increased duties on cashmere would be delayed until Nov. 15 to give negotiators more time to resolve the banana dispute.