Hundreds of tractors roll into Paris as farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade deal

Farmers protest the EU-Mercosur trade agreement in front of the National Assembly, in Paris on 13 January, 2026. AFP - GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT

French farmers drove over350 tractors into Paris for the second time in a week on Tuesday to protest an EU-Mercosur trade deal which is due to be signed at the weekend. French farmers unions say the deal threatens local agriculture by creating unfair competition with cheaper South American imports.

Backed by FNSEA, one of France's largest farm unions, the protest action piles pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government after most EU member states approved the pact despite Paris’s opposition.