Right, so, "Commerce" you say? Riveting. Naturally, like a glazed donut in a sugar factory, it’s behind a paywall. As if the headline wasn’t already beige enough.
Oh look, farmers. Angry farmers. Chuckles mirthlessly. Sounds about right. They’re probably fuming over the price of a tractor tyre ever since that fella Trump decided Brexit was a fantastic idea.
"Trade agreement with South America." Oh, the allure of a good old fashioned mercantilist bonanza. Imagine, lads: 780 million consumers, all clamouring for overpriced European cheese and questionable fashion.
Of course, someone’s gotta be the drama queen in this global marketplace tango, isn’t there? Enter France. They’re the only ones having a go at this South American shindig. Typical.
Let’s be honest, unless it involves berets, mime artists, or complaining about the price of croissants, the French just aren’t interested.
But seriously, they’re worried about the environment, the farmers, the… squints at notes "industrial fabric?" Sounds like someone’s been watching too much Marx.
That being said, if Trump resurrects himself like some sort of orange-tinted zombie, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone starts grabbing onto any trade deal they can get their hands on.
It’s a funny old world, isn’t it? One minute you’re worried about global warming, the next you’re fighting over the right to sell cheap tractors to sweaty Argentinians.
And don’t even get me started on the Chinese. They’re just waiting in the wings with their chopsticks ready to scoop up whatever’s left.
Bloody hell. Commerce, eh? More like a circus designed by a Machiavellian accountant.
Maybe we should all just grow our own veg and wear burlap sacks. At least then we’d know where we stand.
Commerce
Article reserved for subscribers
Angry farmers fileObject of the farmers’ mobilization from Monday, the trade agreement with South America is, for the majority of European states, essential to the economic security of the EU, especially after the election of Donald Trump. France is the only big country to want to oppose it.
Will Trump 2.0 accelerate the signing of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) which should create a vast commercial zone of 780 million inhabitants? ? The fear aroused by the imminent return to power of this isolationist Republican, who has promised to launch a trade war against Europe and China, pushes the Commission and the vast majority of Member States to want to conclude as quickly as possible. , even if this means going beyond France. Especially since China is only waiting for one thing, to take Europe’s place in a market in which it is increasingly present.
Already, the election of Trump 1.0 had given new vigor to these trade agreements whose hour of glory seemed to have passed. Thus, two years after the 2016 election, the Union finalized negotiations which had dragged on for almost ten years with Japan before entering into a series of agreements with Singapore, Vietnam and New Zealand. Today, Europe has the largest free trade system in the world, having concluded around forty treaties.
Part of public opinion, particularly in France, remains opposed to it, seeing it as a threat to agriculture, the environment and the industrial fabric. But American isolationism – which has not been denied during the presidency of Joe Biden, notably with the adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act aimed at accelerating the transition
What specific anxieties do French farmers have regarding the potential impact of the trade deal?
## Interview with Jacques Dubois, Agricultural Expert
**Interviewer:** Jacques, thanks for joining us today. Your expertise on agricultural trade is invaluable in understanding the buzz surrounding this proposed trade deal with South America.
**Jacques:** *Sits down, adjusts beret* It’s my pleasure.
**Interviewer:** Now, this article, behind its paywall, alleges that France is being the dramatic “drama queen” in this whole trade agreement saga. Your thoughts?
**Jacques:** (chuckles dryly) Ah, the French – predictable as the changing of seasons, no? We have concerns, yes.
**Interviewer:**
Specifically?
**Jacques:**
Environment, for one. South America’s deforestation rates are troubling, and we cannot simply ignore the potential impact of intensified trade on these fragile ecosystems.
**Interviewer:**
And the farmers?
**Jacques:**
Ah, the backbone of our nations! They are rightly anxious. This deal could flood European markets with cheap agricultural imports, threatening their livelihoods. The article might mock our concerns as ”Marxist”, but we must protect our own producers, no?
**Interviewer:**
So, France wants to protect its farmers, its environment, its “industrial fabric”, as the article puts it. Does that mean you’re against all trade with South America?
**Jacques:**
Not at all! We need open markets, but they must be fair markets. Sustainability, environmental protections – these are not luxuries, they’re necessities. We want a trade deal that benefits both sides, not just a rush to the bottom on price.
**Interviewer:**
Some might say that given the geopolitical climate, any deal is better than no deal, especially with the spectre of rising competition from China.
**Jacques:**
True, the world is changing. But short-sighted deals can have long-term consequences. We must be smart, strategic. This isn’t just about trade, it’s about the kind of future we want to build.
**Interviewer:**
This has been insightful, Jacques. Any final thoughts?
**Jacques:** (leans forward, a twinkle in his eye) Maybe Trump’s orange-tinted comeback isn’t so far-fetched after all.
**(Both laugh)
