French farmers stage new Paris protest in effort to halt Mercosur deal

A tractor stands in front of the Arc de Triomphe as French farmers protest against the government's handling of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and lumpy skin disease outbreak, in Paris, France, January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

PARIS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - French farmers, ‌who drove tractors into Paris on Tuesday, plan to stay overnight in the city centre to protest ‌against an EU-Mercosur trade deal they say threatens local agriculture by creating unfair competition with cheaper ‌South American imports.

Farmers in France, the European Union's largest agricultural producer, and other member states have been protesting for months over the EU-Mercosur deal and numerous local grievances.