Farmers warn EU trade deals threaten local agriculture French and Spanish unions protest Mercosur, Ukraine imports5 June 2025 5 June 2025 2 minute read 2 minute read By: By: Global Ag Media EuropeFrench and Spanish farmers warned on Wednesday that a flood of imports under planned European Union trade agreements with South American bloc Mercosur and Ukraine risked severely undermining European agriculture, reported Reuters. "It would be a real tragedy for our industry," Alain Carre, head of French sugar industry group AIBS said. French farmers held nationwide protests last year over low incomes, rising costs, and competition from cheap imports, particularly from Ukraine and Mercosur countries, demanding fairer trade terms and lighter regulation. "This happens because of trade deals signed by Spain and the EU as part of geopolitics, bringing us prices too low to sustain our farms," Fatas said. He warned that genetically modified grains from Mercosur also created unfair competition, echoing French farmers' concerns.