Spanish Producers Call for EU Tariffs on Moroccan Tomato Imports

FEPEX has asked the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture to introduce to the European Commission the implementation of the cooperation and safeguard clauses provided for in Articles 4 and 7 of the protocol of the agreement between the EU and Morocco. This measure aims to correct any market disruption. For FEPEX, it is urgent to apply additional customs duties on Moroccan tomatoes exported to the European market.

The Spanish federation explains that the Moroccan tomato season overlaps with that of its Iberian neighbor. It arrives on the European market at a very low price, causing a 12% drop in Spanish exports to the EU between October 2019 and April 2020 compared to the previous season.

This decline was further confirmed at the start of the current 2020-21 season. According to Challenge, the price of tomatoes in Almería has experienced an unprecedented decline of less than 0.15 euro/kg (or about 1.5 dirhams). As for Moroccan tomato exports, they have recorded a record of 486,878 tons.