Sardines are becoming difficult to find in several major German retail chains. Aldi Nord, Rewe, Lidl and Kaufland acknowledge occasional shortages. The reasons are the decline in catches in Morocco and the suspension of frozen sardine exports.
Small parcels ordered from Moroccan sellers and delivered to the European Union will be subject to a new customs fee by November 1 at the latest. Its amount has yet to be set. The measure concerns e-commerce, not private shipments between relatives or friends.
The European Commission is preparing a general ban on waste exports to non-OECD countries. Morocco, which had requested to continue receiving them after May 2027, would be directly affected if the text is adopted.
A new European regulation on veterinary antibiotics comes into force this Thursday, September 3. Morocco remains authorized to export four categories of products of animal origin, while several other sectors are not included on the European list.
Canned sardines are enjoying spectacular success in the United States. They are now Americans’ second-favorite canned fish, behind tuna, a trend that opens up prospects for Morocco, the world’s leading sardine supplier.
Sardines are reportedly moving toward cooler waters farther from Morocco’s usual fishing grounds. This is a problem for fishers, who are forced to travel greater distances as fuel prices rise sharply.
Electricity consumption rose by 8.4% in Morocco in the first half of 2026, while national production increased by only 1.6%. This gap was accompanied by a 34.6% surge in imports.
Moroccan watermelon is once again in the crosshairs of Spanish farmers. Imports from Morocco increased by 14% in the first half of the year and are accused of having contributed to driving prices down in Spain to just 24 cents per kilo.
Morocco’s imports of parts for passenger cars now exceed those of the cars themselves. As of the end of July 2026, their value reached 24.6 billion dirhams, compared with 23.2 billion for imported vehicles.
Morocco supplied 62.9% of the raspberries imported by the United Kingdom during the 2025-2026 season. Shipments reached a new record even as British purchases declined. In five years, Morocco’s share has nearly tripled.
Spain is among Europe’s leading producers and exporters of peppers. Yet it depends almost exclusively on Morocco when it buys this vegetable from abroad: 95% of its imports during the first half of 2026 were of Moroccan origin.
Moroccan tomato exports to the European Union could fall to zero if Brussels applied its strictest rules without producers adapting. This extreme scenario is not a forecast, but it quantifies a risk that could redirect 325 000 tonnes.