Spain has multiplied its arms sales to Morocco by 13 in 2024, representing an increase of 1,264.77% compared to 2023, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Commerce. Meanwhile, the Iberian peninsula refuses to increase its military budget, as recommended by NATO.
According to data recently published by the European Commission, Moroccan olive oil exports to the EU have recorded a significant increase, reaching 841 tons between October and November 2024, compared to 553 tons for the same period of the previous season. Meanwhile, in Morocco, prices are reaching record levels.
Spanish and French farmers are joining forces to fight what they call the invasion of Moroccan tomatoes in Europe. In this context, a delegation of leaders from the Spanish association COAG recently held a session with representatives of the Confédération paysanne of France.
Moroccan fruit and vegetable exporters are complaining about the congestion of the port of Tanger Med, noting that this situation affects the quality of their products destined for European countries.
The Salon de l’Agriculture, the annual grand event of the agricultural world, is in full swing. But behind the facade smiles, a growing concern is emerging among French tomato producers. Gilles Bertrandias, director of Rougeline, a major cooperative group based in Marmande, spoke on the stand of the Nouveaux Champs collective. He points the finger at the perceived unfair competition from the Moroccan tomato.
Faced with the massive import of Egyptian and Turkish products, Moroccan textile professionals are calling for the implementation of non-tariff measures and a review of the free trade agreements between the kingdom and these two countries.
In order to appease the trade tensions between Morocco and Egypt, a meeting between the Trade Ministers of the two countries is scheduled in Rabat to redefine the terms of the free trade agreement.
Egypt has decided to temporarily suspend the control of food exports to Morocco. This is due to the rather long delays in customs clearance of Egyptian agricultural and agri-food products at Moroccan ports.
In an interview, Rachid Benali, president of the Moroccan Confederation of Agriculture and Rural Development (COMADER), defends Moroccan farmers whom the French Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, and French farmers accuse of not having respected the clauses of the agreement signed 25 years ago between Europe and France, particularly the seasonality. He also invites French farmers to come and invest in Morocco instead of "opposing Moroccan tomatoes".
Moroccan exports of fruits and vegetables to Spain have increased by 120% and by 40% to the rest of the EU over the past decade. An "invasion" of Moroccan products denounced by the Spanish Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Producer and Exporter Associations (Fepex), which calls on the European Union to defend European producers.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced the opening of an investigation following a request from the Oriental Weavers group, calling for the suspension of the application of the anti-dumping duty on its imports of carpets and floor coverings from Egypt.
The "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement in Morocco", abbreviated as BDS Morocco, welcomed the success of its boycott campaigns, carried out in collaboration with other associations, against products from Israel and Moroccan products exported to this country, or companies that support it in the war in Gaza.