French Tomato Growers Seek EU Trade Deal Review Amid Moroccan Import Surge

This is the case of the national Association of Producers’ Organizations "Tomatoes and Cucumbers of France" which has called on the French government to support local producers in order to cope with the competition from Moroccan products.

Relying on the Senate report entitled "competitiveness of the French Farm", the organization has notably requested a revision of the EU-Morocco free trade agreement to readjust the current customs procedures. The said document has reported the threat of the strong competition from Moroccan products, whose "presence has become unacceptable."

To address this threat, the association intends to work for "a reopening of the negotiations of the EU-Morocco free trade treaty in order to adapt the customs duties paid by Moroccan producers to the reality of the market".

According to figures from the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022, the volume of exports of Moroccan tomatoes reached 670,000 tons, an increase of 19% compared to the previous season. France occupies the 1st position in the list of importing countries of Moroccan tomatoes.