The Netherlands, Spain, and Morocco are the EU's main tomato suppliers. In the last five years, tomato exports from the Netherlands and Spain to the rest of the EU countries have fallen by 5% and 20%, respectively. Meanwhile, EU imports of Moroccan tomatoes have grown by 26%.
Specifically, the EU has gone from importing 844,022 tons of tomatoes from the Netherlands in 2016 to 803,278 tons in 2020, i.e. 5% less. Meanwhile, exports from Spain fell by 20%, going from 763,844 tons to 613,053 tons. By contrast, EU imports of Moroccan tomatoes have grown by 26% in the same period, from 344,094 tons to 435,041 tons, according to Eurostat data.
The data reflects the decline that Spanish tomato sales are experiencing in the EU, its main destination, largely due to the competition from Morocco, whose presence is growing in the Community market. According to Fepex, the data also shows that the competition from Morocco also affects other producing countries, such as the Netherlands. That's why the EU urgently needs a commercial policy that supports the Community preference.
Other outstanding EU tomato suppliers in 2020 were Belgium, with 195,718 tons, France with 193,536 tons, and Turkey with 125,622 tons.
Source: fepex.es