Poland has joined a French-led attempt to block an EU free trade deal with Latin American countries that Brussels casts as essential to boosting economic ties at a time of rising global trade tensions.

Poland opposes the EU-Mercosur free trade deal with South American countries in its current form, the prime minister said on Tuesday, joining France in standing against an agreement European farmers say will expose them to unfair competition.

In addition to Paris and Warsaw, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands are also concerned about the free-trade agreement's impact on their agricultural sectors. Yet, at this stage, they have not all committed themselves.