Tomato War: Spain Challenges Morocco Over EU Imports

The “tomato war” is flaring up again in Europe. This Saturday, February 7, at the Fruit Logistica global trade show, representatives of Spanish farmers presented a manifesto warning of the collapse of their competitiveness against neighboring Morocco.

Also read: Spain fears an “invasion” of Moroccan products

According to data presented by Fepex, Morocco rose during the 2024/2025 season to become the European Union’s second-largest tomato supplier, now challenging or even overtaking Spain with a volume of approximately 568,000 tonnes. Over a decade, Spanish exports to the EU fell by nearly 200,000 tonnes, while imports of Moroccan tomatoes into Spain surged by 269%.

Also read: The new Morocco-EU agreement has Spanish farmers shaking

At the heart of the criticism is the gap between social and environmental standards. Fepex points out that an agricultural worker costs approximately 9.74 euros per hour in Spain, compared with just 0.98 euros in Morocco. In addition, Iberian producers accuse Rabat of using methyl bromide, a pesticide banned by the European Union since 2005 because of its harmful effects on the ozone layer.

Ignacio Antequera, Fepex’s director, called for “justice, not privileges,” demanding that Brussels apply mirror clauses (reciprocity of standards), strict origin labeling, and automatic safeguard mechanisms in response to what he describes as “unfair competition.”