ALERT: It is the first supplier in the EU with a share of more than 70%
In breaking news, the following story has emerged from the international scene.
The keys Generated with AI Morocco has become the main supplier of tomatoes in the EU, reaching a share of 70.6%. Spanish tomato exports to the EU have fallen by 34% in the last decade, affected by Moroccan competition. Spain is one of the main destinations for Moroccan tomatoes, receiving 25.1% of its exports in 2024. Spanish farmers denounce unfair competition, since foreign products do not meet the same requirements as European ones. Spain is one of the main global suppliers of tomatoes thanks to outdoor crops and greenhouses with consolidated production methods and which are located mainly in Almería, Granada, Valencia, Murcia, Catalonia and Extremadura. However, in the last decade, Spanish sales to the European Union (EU) have been reduced by 34%. The reason? Several, but one of the main ones is the emergence of our neighbor Morocco as a major supplier of tomatoes to the community space. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Morocco is the main EU supplier of this vegetable with a 70.6% share, ahead of Turkey, with 22.1% of total sales from countries outside the EU. Morocco surpasses Spain. In the 2025-2026 campaign, purchases from Morocco have stood at 187,866 tons, decreasing by 20.3% compared to the 2025-2026 campaign. 2024/2025 due to unfavorable weather. Although exports from the EU since 2012, when the association agreement came into force, have increased by 52% until 2025. In fact, Spain is one of the main destinations for this Moroccan product, with 25.1% of its exports in 2024, ahead of France (21.5%), the United Kingdom (9.5%), Germany (9.3%) and Italy (4.9%). Although our country remains in a good position in terms of its sales within the community space, it has suffered a setback in a context in which European farmers must comply with the strict EU standards in labor, social, environmental and health matters. Spanish farm workers argue that foreign products do not have to meet the same requirements, so their entry into Europe is easier, even pointing to unfair competition. MercosurThe same debate is open with Mercosur, the tariff-free trade pact between the European Union and the main countries of South America. This seeks to promote business between both continents and the exchange of agri-food products and raw materials, among which meat, minerals, coffee and sugar stand out. In fact, Mercosur came into force provisionally recently, on May 1. Although the community institutions have clarified that unfair competition will not occur and that products imported from abroad must also meet European standards, farmers – who have expressed themselves on countless occasions in recent times – continue to be skeptical. A similar situation with what happens in trade between Rabat and Brussels.
The Bigger Picture:
This development could have far-reaching consequences for global politics in the months ahead.
World leaders are expected to respond to these developments in the coming days.
We encourage our readers to follow this developing story for the latest information.
Source: This article was originally published in another language by El Español – Home and has been translated and adapted for our global English-speaking audience. Read the original article here.