The market is tense and moving upwards. The slight supply surplus observed in Week 28 has dwindled considerably or even totally disappeared. On the one hand, the deficit in fruits from the French West Indies has continued to become more marked. On the other, exports from Ecuador have dipped as is usual at this time of the year. Market tension has been strongly felt in Germany where a significant decrease in supply has caused slight market under-supply. Demand has remained at a good level for the summer, especially in France and northern Europe. Cool weather and still timid competition from the season's fruits (high prices) have continued to favour banana consumption. In contrast, on the southern markets (Italy and Spain) banana is still suffering from strong competition from stone fruits. This is particularly the case in Italy where sales have slowed slightly. In this context, the price of green fruits has been very firm or rising except in Russia where demand has slowed noticeably.