Baptiste Morin / Photo credit: JOHN THYS / AFP 6:16 a.m., February 27, 2024

While the French government is firmly opposed to Mercosur, the free trade agreements signed in recent years have nevertheless had a positive impact on the European and particularly French trade balance.

In 2022, the sum of trade passed through the various agreements in force will exceed 2,000 billion euros.

Since the start of the agricultural crisis, free trade agreements have been described as a danger for our farmers.

The draft agreement with Mercosur has even been criticized by the executive, which strongly opposes it.

However, on closer inspection, the free trade agreements signed in recent years have had a positive impact on the European and particularly French trade balance.

2,000 billion euros

If the European Union signs free trade agreements, it is because the 27 have an interest in it.

In 2022, the sum of trade passed through the various agreements in force has exceeded 2,000 billion euros, unheard of.

The results are positive, particularly for France.

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“There are always winners and losers. A free trade agreement is said to be beneficial when the gains of the winners exceed the losses of the losers. Until now, in agri-food matters, this has been the case for France” , underlines Eric Dor, director of economic studies at the IESEG School of Management.

Ceta, beneficial for France

Ceta, the free trade agreement with Canada, is a textbook case.

Applied at 90% since 2017, it has enabled a clear increase in French exports of wine, but also of cheese and cereals.

“In total, we have significantly increased the agri-food trade surplus with Canada,” concludes Eric Dor.

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At the time, opponents warned of an imminent threat: the flood of Canadian beef, once the agreement was signed.

It actually didn't happen.

On the contrary, it is European meat exports that have jumped.