IFA leader in bid to stall trade deal talks with South American states

European negotiators must insist upon equivalence of standards in their advanced trade talks with the Mercosur group of countries, said IFA president Eddie Downey.

With an exchange of offers on a trade deal due as early as the end of March, the IFA leader has launched an offensive at EU level to stall the discussions with the South American countries, particularly Brazil.

He particularly highlighted the potential devastation that an unbalanced trade deal with Brazil would cause to Ireland’s beef and pork sectors.