Dozens of tractors rolled into Paris early Tuesday, January 13th, as French farmers stepped up protests against the European Union’s recently approved trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries. Despite strong opposition from France and other member states, the EU approved the trade deal with the Mercosur bloc on Friday, January 9th.
By early morning, around 150 tractors had entered the French capital under police escort, with authorities expecting up to 300 vehicles to take part in the demonstrations. The tractors are expected to crawl along the capital’s major thoroughfares, including the Champs-Elysées.
The EU–Mercosur deal, approved by Brussels last week and scheduled for signing on Saturday, January 17th, is widely opposed by farmers and others who fear it will result in an influx of an extra 99,000 tonnes of cheap beef from Brazil and its neighbours, disrupting European agriculture. They argue that these imports could undercut European producers, who face higher production costs due to stricter environmental and animal welfare regulations.
Similar demonstrations took place last week in Poland, Belgium, and Italy—where farmers in Milan disrupted traffic, dumped barrels of straw, and poured milk in front of the regional council building. On January 10th, thousands of Irish farmers took to the streets following the EU’s approval of a free trade agreement, expressing fears that South American imports could seriously undermine the competitiveness of European agriculture. Belgian farmers were also blocking streets in several provinces after Friday’s controversial EU decision.
