Rising Tensions at the Border: French Wine Growers Challenge Cheap Spanish Imports
BOULOU – In a striking display of discontent, French wine growers recently protested against the cheap imports of Spanish wines, causing disruption at the border town of Boulou. Over 500 vintners seized lorries, smashing hundreds of crates of cava and spilling thousands of gallons of rose. The demonstrators claim they are battling “an economic war,” protesting the unfair competition they face due to the low prices of foreign wines.
The core grievance of these wine growers is their inability to match the lower prices of imported wines. This disparity in pricing has created hurdles in selling their indigenous products. The protest was not limited to wines alone; demonstrators also targeted and destroyed a shipment of tomatoes from Morocco.
Frederic Rouanet, president of the wine growers’ union for the Aude region, firmly stated, “Starting from today, we are going to remove the possibility of buyers being able to get cheap wines from elsewhere… we are going to stop Spanish imports” (source: The Telegraph). His bold declaration underlined the severe discontent among the local wine growers.
Supporting the protest, Alain Ginies, vice president of Aude’s council, emphasized the importance of viticulture in the region, stating, “Our two economic strengths at the departmental level are tourism and viticulture” (source: The Telegraph).
Highlighting the underlying factors for the price disparity, Antoine, a senior wine grower, voiced concerns about the leniency in regulations faced by Spanish wine producers. He remarked, “The Spanish have lower charges and can use various chemicals on their vines. As a result, their wine costs half as much as ours” (source: Le Parisien).
The situation had been escalating for a while. In a previous meeting discussing the looming crisis, Rouanet had warned, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” He expressed his intent to urge French wine buyers to stop purchasing foreign wines until the local wines were fairly priced.
Rouanet further stressed the dire circumstances in southern France, pointing out that the government should bear responsibility for the decline in wine consumption and should offer due compensation.
The scenes at Le Boulou tollbooth were particularly striking. Protesters not only smashed imported wine bottles but also used tools like sledgehammers to demonstrate their anger. The ground was drenched with red wine, while crates and tyres were used to create a makeshift bonfire.
While the local police mostly refrained from intervening, the long-term ramifications of this protest remain uncertain. However, what’s clear is the deep-seated resentment among French wine growers towards foreign imports and their determination to fight for fair competition.
