US EditionFrench farmers target food imports as Mercosur protests continue
French farmers conduct widespread protests with roadblocks and inspections, opposing the trade deal and government response to a livestock disease, as the EU deal nears signing.
- On Jan 12, French farmers stopped lorries at Le Havre and on the A1 motorway in fresh blockades across the country.
- French farmers say the pact would open France to cheaper beef imports, risking unfair competition and add to worries over the contagious nodular dermatitis epidemic.
- Using tractors and barricades, protesters slowed operations at La Pallice with around 30 tractors and 60 protesters and blocked fuel depots plus the Maïsica grain site at Bayonne.
- The government faces rising pressure as after late-night talks ending around 1.30am Monday, an A63 motorway blockade was cleared and traffic between France and Spain resumed, with protests planned in Paris Tuesday and Strasbourg on January 20.
- European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will sign the Mercosur deal next weekend, while protests have spread to Italy, Poland, and Ireland amid debates over its impact on more than 700 million consumers.
8 Articles
8 Articles
European Farmers Protest EU Trade Deal with South American Nations
(NAFB.com) – Dozens of French farmers drove tractors into central Paris and blocked major roads Thursday to protest a proposed European Union trade agreement with South American Mercosur nations, saying it threatens local agriculture and could undercut prices for beef, chicken and sugar. Organized by the Rural Coordination farming union, about 100 tractors entered the capital and gathered near landmarks including the Arc de Triomphe and the Nati…
Market Screener
French farmers target food imports as Mercosur protests continue
Farmers stopped lorries at France's largest container port and on the main motorway north of Paris on Monday, conducting symbolic checks on imported food in protest at an EU-Mercosur trade deal they... -January 12, 2026 at 08:03 am EST MarketScreener
French farmers continue to mobilize against the free trade treaty between the European Union and the Common Market of the South (Mercado Común del Sur), commonly known as Mercosur, which is to be signed on Saturday 17 January 2026 in Paraguay... after 26 years of negotiations. French farmers, and mainly cattle farmers, oppose this text because it would put them at the mercy of the "unfair competition" of South American producers. IREF-Contrepoin…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
