“Thousands of Spanish farmers took tractors to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, protesting against the signing of a free trade agreement between the European Union and Latin American countries. Bloomberg writes about it. Demonstrators marched to the Ministry of Agriculture, demanding to stop the ratification of the document, which they believe will lead to unfair competition. The main complaints relate to mass imports”, — write on: ua.news
Thousands of Spanish farmers took tractors to the streets of Madrid on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, protesting against the signing of a free trade agreement between the European Union and Latin American countries.
Bloomberg writes about it.
Demonstrators marched to the Ministry of Agriculture, demanding to stop the ratification of the document, which they believe will lead to unfair competition. The main claims relate to the mass import of beef, poultry and sugar from MERCOSUR countries, where pesticide use norms and environmental standards are significantly lower than European ones.
The action in Madrid was part of a nationwide wave of protests that spread across more than 25 Spanish provinces, including Catalonia and Andalusia. Organizers from unions Asaja and COAG say the opening of the market to cheap produce from Brazil and Argentina threatens the survival of family farms, which are already suffering from rising fertilizer and energy costs. Earlier, on January 17, they tried to disrupt the signing of the agreement in Asuncion with mass blockades of roads and ports throughout the country.
Despite the resistance of farmers in Spain, France and Poland, the European Commission continues to promote the agreement, arguing that it is an economic benefit for European exports of cars and medicines. To ease farmers’ discontent, Brussels has offered to allocate an additional 45 billion euros in support and introduce import quotas, but protesters say these measures are insufficient. The Spanish government, led by Pedro Sánchez, currently supports the agreement, emphasizing its strategic importance for creating new jobs in the industrial sector.
On January 17, the European Union and the South American states of the MERCOSUR bloc signed a historic free trade agreement, which opens up new opportunities for economic cooperation between the regions.
The United States and Taiwan have signed a strategic trade agreement that involves significant investment in US chip manufacturing.
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