Spanish olive workers protest against low prices as Trump tariffs threaten to bite sector

Record ID: 1436170

  • Title: Spanish olive workers protest against low prices as Trump tariffs threaten to bite sector
  • Date: 10th October 2019
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (OCTOBER 10, 2019) (REUTERS) OLIVE SECTOR WORKER AND PRODUCERS MARCHING AND HOLDING SIGNS READING IN SPANISH "FAIR PRICES" AND "U.S.A. ABUSES" AND POLICE LOOKING ON MARCH IN PROGRESS OLIVE BRANCH WITH OLIVES, PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER AND OLIVE BRANCH PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN WITH A DRAWING OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON IT, READING IN SPANISH, "U.S.A. ABUSES," AS HE YELLS IN SPANISH, "ENOUGH OF SCOUNDRELS, WE WANT FAIR PRICES FOR OUR OIL" MARCH IN PROGRESS SIGN WITH A DRAWING OF U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON IT, READING IN SPANISH, "U.S.A. ABUSES" PROTESTER RINGING COW BELL AND BLOWING ON A HORN (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OLIVE OIL PRODUCER FROM JAEN, SPAIN, MANUEL HERRERO, SAYING: "Trump wants to put on a 25% tariff and we cannot compete at that price in the traditional olive groves. They are going to ruin the traditional olive grove in Jaen (southern Spain)." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, FRANCISCO LUIS, SAYING: "With the money we get, we don't have enough to grow (olives). It's so cheap and so bad that we cannot not subsist. We will go broke." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MAYOR OF PORCUNA, JAEN, MIGUEL MORENO, SAYING "Well, now with tariffs of 25% imposed by the United States from October 18 we will have an extra burden. If we cannot sell at two euros and now they add a 25% tax, the consumer will opt for another type of oil which is much less healthy than olive oil." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MAYOR OF BAEZA, JAEN, LOLA MARIN, SAYING: "(We are here) To ask for fair prices and for the olive sector to continue growing, for the traditional olive grove to continue to be sustainable and economically viable. We want fair prices and for tariffs in this trade war over prices to be eliminated. We want to continue living (off of olives)." VARIOUS OF PROTEST IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2019 12:19
  • Keywords: olives olive oil Spain fair pricing olive oil producers Trump tariffs protest olive protest
  • Location: MADRID, EL BURGO & JAEN, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, EL BURGO & JAEN, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B0IM0XZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Thousands of olive sector producers and workers marched through the streets of central Madrid on Thursday (October 10) to protest over the low price of olive oil at source and the proposal by the United States' Trump administration to raise tariffs on European agricultural products to 25%.
    The price of olive oil at source in Spain, the world's largest olive oil producer, has dropped 44% in the last year and producers in the sector say that U.S. tariffs will be devastating to their business which already is experiencing tough times.
    U.S. tariffs on European Union products would affect around 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) of Spanish agricultural products per year, Spanish agricultural association COAG said, adding that the olive sector would be Spain's worst hit sector.
    The United States is the biggest market outside the European Union for Spanish agricultural exports such as wine, oil, cheese and olives - all of which are likely to be affected by the tariffs, the association said.
    Spain's exports over 400 million euros worth of olive oil to the U.S., Spain's ministry of industry and commerce figures say.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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