This article is a summary of the instagram post made by French influencer Hugo Clement (see bottom).
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BASF manufactures the pesticide Fipronil at a production site in France. Although the substance is produced within the European Union, its use is prohibited across the EU due to concerns over its toxicity and potential risks to human health and the environment.
Despite this ban, BASF is permitted to continue manufacturing Fipronil in France because the product is exported exclusively to markets outside the EU. One of the main destinations is Indonesia, where the pesticide is used in palm oil plantations. Under current EU trade policies, Fipronil can be exported to Indonesia with zero tariffs, while palm oil imports into the EU benefit from relatively low import duties.
Fipronil is also exported to Brazil. Within the framework of the Mercosur trade agreement, the pesticide can be shipped to Brazil without export taxes. At the same time, sugar cane produced in Brazil using Fipronil is eligible for export to the EU at very low tariff rates.
The Mercosur agreement also reduces import duties on sugar containing Fipronil residues, raising additional concerns about the environmental and ethical implications of current trade policies.
In addition, the France has recently modified its regulations on acceptable Fipronil residue levels in imported sugar. Until 2024, the maximum permitted level was 5 micrograms of Fipronil per kilogram of sugar. This threshold has now been doubled to 10 micrograms per kilogram, effectively allowing higher levels of contamination in imported products.