PARIS - Over 20,000 French farms could go bankrupt if the European Union concludes a major trade deal with four South American countries, France's biggest farm union warned Friday. At a meeting Thursday with farmers, President Emmanuel Macron promised France would not budge on meat safety. Negotiators from Mercosur and the EU resumed talks on Wednesday after edging closer to a deal during the last round in Brussels. At the end of the previous round, the EU said it was willing to accept tariff-free imports of 99,000 tonnes of South American beef annually, compared to an initial offer of 70,000 tonnes. Macron is expected to face questions on the issue when he visits the annual Paris farm show on Saturday.

Source: Bangkok Post February 23, 2018 15:22 UTC