Waterford TD speaks on Mercosur Agreement

A Waterford TD has spoken out after the EU approved the contentious Mercosur trade agreement. 

The EU-Mercosur refers to the wide-ranging trade deal between the European bloc and the the South American trade bloc Mercosur, whose founding members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. 

The deal would see an influx of South American goods come into the European markets, especially beef. The deal would enable Mercosur countries to export 99,000 tonnes of beef to the EU at a reduced tariff of 7.5%, compared to standard tariffs of 40-45%.
Irish farmers are anxious about the ramifications of the deal, arguing that the deal would be unfair competition for fellow European farmers. 

Earlier this week, Ireland rejected the deal, alongside France, Poland and Hungary. 

In the aftermath of the EU's approval, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage John Cummins commented that Ireland's rejection of the deal was the 'right decision' for Irish farmers. Deputy Cummins noted that the deal does not meet the standards of EU environmental protective measures. 

He stated: "Fine Gael has been firm in defending farmers and the world-class standards they uphold every day. Any trade agreement must be fair, sustainable and compatible with our environmental goals."

He continued: "In its current form, the Mercosur deal does not meet those standards. We will continue to work with EU colleagues to ensure the safeguards are as robust as possible when it comes to agriculture imports. Ireland’s position sends a clear message at EU level that economic opportunity cannot come at the expense of rural livelihoods or climate responsibility.”

Sinn Féin TD Conor McGuinness called the agreement “a devastating outcome for Irish farmers”. In November 2025, Deputy called on Minister Cummins and Minister Butler to reject the deal and to 'put Waterford farmers first'.