A French strike over rising fuel prices is disrupting exports of Spanish fruit and vegetables bound for European markets.
The weeklong stoppage by a group known as the Yellow Vests has paralysed French roads as protestors have set up roadblocks at strategic locations including fuel depots and toll roads.
As a result, thousands of Spanish truckers have been trapped inside their vehicles for several days. According to the government, 113,000 trucks have been caught up in the demonstration, almost 20,000 of which are from Andalucía, the majority carrying fruits and vegetables.
On Thursday, the Spanish government lodged an official complaint with the French authorities after the strike blocked the border crossing in Irun, urging them to adopt “all appropriate measures to guarantee the free movement of goods in complete safety”.
Unions have warned that the protests could seriously impact the winter vegetable campaign, which is just getting underway in Almería.
The region’s producer association Coexphal said that if the situation continues it could seriously disrupt the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the European market. Europe absorbs 94 per cent of Almería’s exports, virtually all of which are sent by road through France.
November is one of the peak months for Spanish fresh produce exports, with Almería alone sending 261,000 tonnes to European markets in November last year.
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