As the ink dried on one of the world’s biggest trade deals, signed in Uruguay this month and hailed as a major milestone for the global economy, anger was brewing thousands of miles away in France.
Under Art the agreement between the EU, on the one hand, and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, on the other, tariffs will be significantly reduced, and the permitted volumes of imports and exports will be increased.
The deal will affect almost 800 million people.
This is a marked contrast to Donald Trump’s plans to significantly increase protectionism when he returns to the White House next month.
The agreement still needs to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states, and France plans to block it over fears it would harm its agricultural sector.
Alix Herteau, a 34-year-old French farmer, says she worries about her future if the planned deal goes ahead.
“I’m afraid the deal will mean it’s going to be even harder for farmers like me to make ends meet,” she says.
As a result, she’s crossing her fingers that the French government manages to stop it.
