Spanish Garlic Industry Seeks Urgent EU Protection After Morocco Introduces Import Licences

Morocco introduces import licensing

Spain’s National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers, ANPCA, has called for urgent European Union measures to protect garlic production after Morocco established an import-licensing system for fresh garlic. The association argues that the Moroccan decision shows how third countries can control imports when seeking to defend their domestic markets.

According to AgroNews Castilla y León, Morocco published Circular No. 6775/311 on 24 September, introducing licences for imports of fresh garlic classified under code 07032000. ANPCA said the measure had not been announced or communicated to the Spanish garlic industry in advance and expressed surprise at its introduction.

The association expects the licensing requirement could complicate trade with Morocco, which it describes as an important destination for Spanish producers and marketers. Moroccan consumers value Spanish purple garlic for its quality and organoleptic characteristics, according to ANPCA. The organisation did not provide figures for the volume or value of the trade potentially affected.

Industry targets a tariff unchanged since 2001

ANPCA’s response extends beyond the immediate risk to Spanish exports. The association said it understands Morocco’s intention to protect domestic producers, but argues that the EU should also reconsider the tools available to its own garlic industry. Its central demand concerns the specific tariff applied to out-of-quota garlic imports from third countries.

The EU established that tariff at €1,200 per tonne in 2001, and ANPCA says it has not been updated for 25 years. In the association’s assessment, inflation and higher prices have reduced the tariff’s real value and weakened its ability to discourage imports from countries with lower production costs.

European growers, meanwhile, face higher expenditure on labour, energy, fertiliser, crop-protection products, water and agricultural machinery. ANPCA also points to EU labour, environmental, phytosanitary and food-safety requirements, arguing that these obligations add to production costs and should be considered when setting trade conditions for third-country suppliers.

Spanish growers warn of lower output

ANPCA says it has asked the European Commission for years to review garlic trade protections, particularly the €1,200-per-tonne out-of-quota duty. It now wants the Commission to update the tariff and examine import trends, production-cost differences between countries and the effects of current trade policy on the competitiveness and economic sustainability of European producers.

The organisation identifies Spain as the EU’s leading garlic-producing country. The crop supports economic activity and employment in rural areas, both on farms and among companies handling, conditioning and marketing garlic. ANPCA warns that a continued decline in profitability could reduce planted area and threaten the survival of some farms.

Lower EU production would also increase dependence on supplies from third countries, the association said. Morocco’s licensing decision therefore serves two purposes for the Spanish industry: it creates a possible obstacle in an established export market and provides a policy example for its campaign in Brussels. Any EU response would affect not only growers, but also processors, traders and importers operating within the bloc’s quota and tariff framework.