Spanish farmers continue to protest EU-South American trade deal

MADRID

Spanish farmers have continued protests against a planned free trade agreement between the EU and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, warning that it will put local producers at a serious disadvantage.

The agreement, which is expected to be signed on Jan. 17 in Paraguay, aims to reduce tariffs on agricultural products such as beef, poultry, dairy, sugar and ethanol from Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) while opening up South American markets to European industry.

Farmers in Spain argue that cheaper imports from Latin America, which they say are produced under lower standards, will lead to unfair competition and threaten the survival of many family farms.

Similar concerns have been raised by farmers across Europe, particularly in France.

Protests have intensified in Spain’s Catalonia region. Since Thursday, major roads including the AP-7 and N-II near the city of Girona have been blocked.

Farmers have left tractors on the roads, sometimes weighed down with truck tires or tree trunks.

Demonstrators have also blocked access to the Port of Tarragona, disrupting freight traffic and making crossings at the French border more difficult.

Spain’s transport employers’ association, Fenadismer, said the protests have left more than 40,000 trucks stranded in Catalonia and the neighboring Basque Country.

Farmers from Galicia and the Basque region have also joined the demonstrations in support.

EU member states approved the EU–Mercosur agreement on Friday, after an earlier attempt in December was delayed due to farmer protests and opposition from countries including France, Italy, and Poland.

Despite the approval, opposition from farmers continues, with critics warning that the deal could accelerate the collapse of small-scale agriculture across the EU.