France is facing growing pressure from Moroccan tomato imports, with a noticeable surge in cherry tomatoes hitting the market. Complaints about unfair competition are making regular headlines, and the issue was a key talking point during a recent meeting of EU market analysts.
At the meeting, participants discussed a French study by the General Council for Food, Agriculture and Rural Spaces (CGAAER). The analysis shows that Morocco's production techniques have significantly improved, even though the country's total cultivation area hasn't expanded. That's expected to change, however, in the Western Sahara, large-scale projects, including desalination plants to provide irrigation water, could greatly increase tomato production. French growers are watching this development with concern.
Better customs data reveals the trend
Since 2015, France has seen an exponential rise in cherry tomato imports. Much of this produce arrives in Perpignan before being shipped to other destinations, but some stays in France, creating extra pressure on the domestic market.
"Changes in customs codes have allowed for more detailed tracking by tomato type, which shows a significant rise in imports, especially of small tomatoes like cherry tomatoes," the meeting notes explain. "This changes the competitive landscape, as tariff preferences and the EU's import price system were originally based on round tomatoes, which until last year were the dominant variety on the market." Morocco and the EU signed a trade agreement in 2012.
The report concludes that the EU's current import price mechanism hasn't kept up with the market value of premium tomato varieties. As a result, it's no longer effectively fulfilling its purpose of balancing supply and demand within the EU.
Spain joins the criticism
In Spain, the call has been growing for years to exclude produce grown in the Western Sahara from trade benefits. With production in that region set to expand, pressure from Southern Europe on EU trade rules may only intensify.
You can read the full report on the meeting at the link here.
