Tensions over Moroccan tomato imports have resurfaced in France, where producer groups claim Moroccan suppliers are competing unfairly. Moroccan exporters maintain that recent campaigns against their products were triggered by disinformation.
Members of the Confédération Paysanne entered a Franco-Moroccan logistics hub in Perpignan last week before being removed by police. The group later entered a supermarket, denouncing what they described as "dumped prices" for Moroccan cherry tomatoes.
These actions come while the Franco-Moroccan Joint Committee on Fruits and Vegetables, reactivated earlier this year to address trade friction, has not yet produced concrete outcomes.
Under the 2012 EU-Morocco free trade agreement, Morocco has a duty-free tomato export quota of 285,000 tons for the period from October to May. Standard EU tariffs apply once the quota or the seasonal window is exceeded.
French unions argue that the EU entry price mechanism no longer reflects the structure of the tomato category, especially for premium varieties. Moroccan officials state that the current system already requires strict compliance from exporters.
Moroccan fresh produce exporters have repeatedly criticised what they describe as "disinformation campaigns" led by French and Spanish farming groups. According to Morocco's Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters (APEFEL), these campaigns raise concerns about pesticide use and price manipulation without scientific evidence.
APEFEL refers to EU food safety statistics that place Moroccan produce among the most compliant suppliers, with less than 1 percent of alerts linked to Moroccan products. The organisation states that European competitors are using "health scare tactics" to encourage Brussels to tighten existing trade rules.
The current debate highlights ongoing pressure on the EU import regime, including the quota and entry price system that determines market access for Moroccan tomatoes during the European off-season.
Source: The North Africa Post
