Brazil’s foreign minister has attacked the EU for “trade protectionism” and “myopia” after the bloc proposed a ban on agricultural imports from deforested areas, singling out France for particular criticism over farm subsidies.
Brussels proposed a law this month which would force companies selling beef, soy, palm oil, coffee, cocoa and wood into the bloc to prove the commodities were not produced on land that had been deforested or degraded after 2020.
Brazil is a major exporter of many of the products targeted and the EU initiative has reignited long-running tensions with the government of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, which sees ulterior motives behind the bloc’s proposal.