An apparent decline in EU imports of Moroccan tomatoes has been linked to delays in customs data transmission rather than trade volumes.
A notice on the European Commission customs portal indicates Moroccan imports are "far below the usual level" in recent months, citing delays by national authorities in transmitting full volumes. Morocco remains the EU's main external supplier of fresh tomatoes and competes directly with Spain and the Netherlands in greenhouse production.
Data from the Commission's Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union shows a decline in recorded shipments since October. In November, EU records show 11,164 tonnes of Moroccan tomatoes, compared with the 2021 to 2025 average of 57,444 tonnes. No French import data has been available since October.
European producer groups have raised concerns over the lack of data transparency. Farming unions Confédération Paysanne and COAG addressed the issue, with COAG escalating the matter to EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen in January.
"We want clear and precise explanations about this unprecedented event," said Andrés Góngora, national head of fruits and vegetables at COAG.
According to COAG, Hansen acknowledged transparency issues and attributed delays to national authorities. A Commission spokesperson stated that infringement proceedings were opened last year against some countries, including France, for failing to transmit customs data correctly.
The situation coincides with developments in the EU–Morocco agricultural trade. Last year, the Commission renewed the agri-food agreement with Morocco after a ruling by the EU's top court regarding consent from the Saharawi people of Western Sahara. The court also criticised labelling practices for produce grown in Western Sahara and marketed as Moroccan.
The Commission's solution allows goods from the disputed territory to be marketed under Moroccan regional labels. COAG described the suspension of data as "a rather odd coincidence" in light of amendments to the EU–Morocco agreement.
Spanish customs authorities stated that the data delay was due to technical adjustments to the EU's surveillance system and not specific to Moroccan tomatoes. "No, nothing of the sort," a spokesperson said regarding any link to the trade agreement. Authorities indicated the update would also affect other products and that missing data would be corrected in the coming weeks.
Source: Euractiv
