French Farmers Intensify Protests Against Mercosur Trade Deal: Blockades Spread Across the Country

French Farmers Step Up the Pressure

Farmers across France have ramped up their protests against the proposed EU-Mercosur trade agreement and government policies they see as unfair and destructive to their livelihoods. What began as a local dispute over livestock health regulations has now evolved into a nationwide movement symbolising rural anger and frustration.

For weeks, tractors have rolled out across major highways, fuel depots, and ports — with symbolic targets such as Le Havre and the A1 motorway chosen to send a clear message to Paris and Brussels: enough is enough.

The “Ultras of the A63” End Their Blockade

After several days of occupation, around a hundred farmers who had blocked the A63 motorway near Bayonne — a major route to Spain — finally lifted their blockade overnight after discussions with the local prefect, Jean-Marie Girier. According to the prefecture, the talks ended peacefully, and the motorway reopened early Monday morning without damage.

Yet, while one blockade ends, others continue to spring up.

In La Rochelle, around 30 tractors and 60 farmers from the Coordination Rurale set up a roadblock at the oil terminals in the port of La Pallice.
In Bayonne, members of the Confédération Paysanne, ELB, and the Modef unions blocked the cereal storage site Maïsica despite official bans, keeping pressure on key economic sectors.

Key Transport Hubs Targeted: Le Havre and the A1

Two vital transport arteries remain in the farmers’ sights — the Port of Le Havre, France’s largest container port, and the A1 motorway, which sees the heaviest traffic in the country.

At Le Havre, about 150 farmers have been inspecting incoming trucks and checking products for compliance with EU standards. “We’re expecting 5,000 trucks a day starting tomorrow,” warned Justin Lemaître, Secretary-General of the Jeunes Agriculteurs of Seine-Maritime.

Meanwhile, in the Pas-de-Calais, farmers are holding a filtered roadblock on the A1 motorway near Fresnes-lès-Montauban. “We’re ready to hold out for days,” said Damien Salomon, co-president of the rural coordination group CR62. The A64 near Carbonne, where the movement started a month ago, also remains closed.

A Double Front: DNC and Mercosur

This broad movement has two central causes:

The Outbreak of DNC (Dermatose Nodulaire Contagieuse)
First detected in France in June 2025 in Savoie, the disease has led to strict government measures, including the systematic slaughter of infected herds. Farmers are demanding more measured, “selective” culling rather than blanket destruction, arguing that the current rules unfairly punish healthy farms.
The Pending Mercosur Free Trade Agreement
The long-debated trade pact between the European Union and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) is due to be signed on 17 January 2026. The deal would create a free-trade area covering 700 million consumers, lowering tariffs on agricultural goods among other products.
Farmers across Europe fear it will open the floodgates to cheaper South American imports, produced under standards far below the EU’s stringent environmental and animal welfare regulations.

A Deepening Crisis in Rural France

The protests highlight a deeper discontent within France’s agricultural sector. Rising fuel costs, bureaucratic complexity, and international trade pressures have left many small and medium-sized farms struggling to stay afloat. French farmers argue that they are being asked to meet ever-higher environmental targets while competing with imports that don’t face the same rules.

The French government insists that it supports farmers and has promised new aid measures, but unions are unconvinced. With public sympathy largely behind the movement and political pressure increasing, the coming days could prove decisive for the future of the Mercosur agreement.

Quick Summary

Blockades continue nationwide despite lifted barricades on the A63.
Strategic points like Le Havre and the A1 motorway remain under heavy protest.
Farmers protest both the EU-Mercosur trade deal and the handling of the bovine DNC outbreak.
Concerns grow over unfair competition from South American imports and mounting domestic pressure on the farming sector.