Farmers drive into Paris to oppose Mercosur agreement
For the second time in less than a week, dozens of tractors rolled into Paris early Tuesday, as French farmers protested the European Union’s trade deal with four South American countries.
The long-delayed Mercosur pact was approved by the EU last week and is scheduled to be signed on Saturday, News.Az reports, citing Le Monde.
Farmers in France and other EU nations fear the agreement could undercut them with a surge of cheap beef and other products from South America. Thousands participated in protests over the weekend, and around 300 tractors are expected to take part in Tuesday’s demonstrations in Paris.
By 7:00 a.m. local time, approximately 150 tractors had already entered the French capital under police escort. The vehicles are expected to move slowly along major streets, including the Champs-Élysées.
Most of the European Union's 27 nations support the Mercosur trade deal, which its supporters argue is crucial to boosting exports, helping the continent's ailing economy and fostering diplomatic ties at a time of global uncertainty.
But the agreement is widely opposed by farmers and others who fear it will result in an influx of an extra 99,000 metric tons of cheap beef from agricultural giant Brazil and its neighbors, disrupting European agriculture.
The deal, more than 25 years in the making, would create one of the world's largest free-trade areas, boosting commerce between the 27-nation EU and the Mercosur bloc comprising Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.
Major Mercosur exports to the EU include agricultural products and minerals, while the EU would export machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals with lowered tariffs applied.
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