Morocco’s Olive Oil Surge in Spain: A Market Takeover in the Making?

In just one year, Morocco has skyrocketed its visibility as a supplier of olive oil to Spain, and the numbers are staggering! According to the latest figures from DataComex, an office linked to Spain’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, the shift is hard to ignore. Between January and April 2025, Spain imported a mere 103 tonnes of olive oil from Morocco, but fast forward to the same period in 2026, and that number exploded to 10,384.7 tonnes! Yes, you read that right—a jaw-dropping increase of 9,979%! But hold on a second; let’s put this into perspective. When the initial figure is a drop in the bucket, any increase seems monumental. Jumping from 103 to over 10,000 tonnes multiplies the figure by 100, leading to that crazy percentage spike.

Now, let’s talk money! The economic impact is just as mind-blowing. The value of those olive oil purchases soared from 340,000 euros to a whopping 32.76 million euros, marking a staggering increase of 9,535%. But wait, before you start thinking Moroccan olive oil is taking over the Spanish market, it’s essential to realize it still represents only a small slice of the pie. As per data up till February 2026, Morocco accounted for 7.48% of Spain’s olive oil imports, a significant leap from just 2.01% the previous year. Sure, it’s a notable advance, but it’s far from being the dominant player.

Meanwhile, Spain is churning out around 1.295 million tonnes of olive oil in the 2025-2026 season, and that’s a figure that dwarfs the little over 10,000 tonnes imported from Morocco in that same time frame. So, while Morocco’s growth is real and rapid, it alone doesn’t tip the scales against Spain’s domestic production. But here’s where the plot thickens! Spain’s exports to Morocco took a nosedive, plummeting from 2,721 tonnes in early 2025 to just 673.72 tonnes in 2026—a staggering drop of 75.2%! In terms of value, Spanish olive oil exports fell from 11.11 million euros to 2.44 million euros, nearly 78% less! It seems like the tables have turned; in 2025, Spain was selling more to Morocco, but by 2026, it’s the other way around.

So what’s driving this change? Behind these figures is an exceptionally good harvest for Morocco. The Moroccan Interprofessional Olive Federation estimated production close to 200,000 tonnes for 2025-2026, more than double the previous year, thanks to the recovery of olive groves after a tough few years of drought. And let’s not forget the competitive pricing, bolstered by the preferential trade conditions the EU has with Morocco. Across Europe, Moroccan olive oil purchases surged by 712.6% between October 2025 and March 2026. However, Tunisia still holds the crown as the main non-EU supplier, making up 81% of those imports.

On the other hand, Spain’s olive oil production is having a weaker season, with the Ministry of Agriculture predicting a 9% decline from the last year. This trend helps explain why Spain is leaning more towards foreign oil. All these data points suggest a shift in trade patterns between Spain and Morocco that deserves close attention. But let’s not jump the gun and say Moroccan oil is replacing Spanish oil just yet. Morocco isn’t the only player in this game. During the first two months of 2026, Spain imported a total of 39,624.61 tonnes of olive oil, with Morocco sitting in fourth place among suppliers. Tunisia led the pack with 15,861.10 tonnes, followed by Portugal and Italy.

Even at the European level, the story is similar. Moroccan oil imports rose by 712.6% between October 2025 and March 2026, climbing from 1,269 tonnes to 10,312 tonnes. Yet, Tunisia still dominates with a staggering 81% of the EU’s olive oil imports from third countries. Other traditional suppliers like Turkey, Syria, and Argentina are also facing steep declines in exports. This paints a picture of Morocco’s advance as part of a broader redistribution of suppliers influenced by various factors—not just Morocco itself.

Kaynak: Orijinal Haber