Morocco Leads Mandarin Suppliers to Spain, Overtaking South Africa
Morocco has strengthened its presence in the Spanish market for the 2024/2025 season, becoming the leading external supplier of mandarins (clementines and small oranges), capturing 48% of Spain’s imports from outside the European Union.
A report from Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries indicated that Morocco’s exports of this fruit saw an increase of 190% compared to the previous season, and a 152% rise over the average of the past five years, surpassing South Africa, which also boosted its exports by 240% without reaching Morocco’s share.
This progress occurred during a unique context marked by a 16% decline in citrus imports in the Spanish market for the 2024/2025 campaign, stabilizing at 186,598 tons between September 2024 and June 2025, which is 10.2% lower than the average of the previous five seasons. Despite this decrease, small citrus fruits achieved significant gains in both volume and value at the expense of oranges, whose imports fell sharply due to reduced supplies from Egypt (-72.7%) and Argentina (-50%).
The report noted that mandarins gained an additional ten percentage points in market share, becoming a pivotal element in the imported citrus trade. The value of its imports rose by 73% above average, driven by price increases and volumes arriving through new entry points such as Portugal (+29%) and the Netherlands (+12%), which serve as transit hubs for exports from Morocco and South Africa.
According to the same source, the entry of Moroccan and South African mandarins coincides with the marketing of early Spanish varieties such as “Clemroby” and “Oronul,” which intensifies the pressure on local producers, while the “Clemnoul” variety remains less affected due to its late maturation and limited supply this season.
This situation raises concern in the province of Castellón, which is the heart of mandarin production in Spain. Agricultural professional organizations in Valencia have called for enhancing the status of local citrus through the promotion of the geographic indication protected label (IGP Cítricos Valencianos) to face the competition from Morocco and South Africa, which benefit from lower production costs.
Economically, the value of citrus imports reached approximately 169.24 million euros, an 8% decline from the previous season due to a reduction in quantities, yet it remains higher than the average of the last five years thanks to the increased value of imported mandarins. In the Valencia region, imports continued their downward trend, decreasing from 138,785 tons in the 2022/2023 season to only 97,698 tons in the current season, representing a nearly 30% drop over three campaigns.
Despite this overall decline, Morocco’s rise as a primary supplier alongside South Africa poses the biggest challenge to the Spanish citrus market, placing local producers in increased competition in a market that is strategic for them.
