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France hit by farmers’ protests; Hauliers warn over cargo destruction and police inaction

15 January 2026 23:50 (UTC +04:00)

The protests by French farmers, linked among other things to the European Union–Mercosur trade agreement, are increasingly hitting road transport hard, APA reports citing France 24.

There have been illegal blockades of refrigerated trucks, break-ins into semi-trailers and the destruction of goods—often while law enforcement remains passive. The French haulier’s association OTRE warns of serious economic consequences and is calling for urgent action by the state.

The French Organisation of European Road Hauliers (OTRE), representing small and medium-sized transport companies, is sounding the alarm about the effects of the farmers’ mobilization. In recent days, the protests have taken a particularly dangerous form.

In various regions of France refrigerated vehicles have been intercepted, semi-trailers forced open, and the transported goods destroyed. OTRE stresses that these actions took place in front of law enforcement, which did not intervene, even though they were clearly illegal.