The fruit and vegetable trade between Morocco and Mauritania is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. According to L’Economiste, the volume of Moroccan exports to Mauritania has fallen by more than 50% since the start of 2024. The reason is the increase in customs tariffs imposed by the Mauritanian authorities, which aims to promote local production.
Until recently, around 900 tonnes of Moroccan vegetables and citrus fruits crossed the border into Mauritania every day. These products were intended for local consumption, but also for re-export to other African countries. However, this situation has changed radically since January 2024, when Mauritania decided to increase transit costs for Moroccan fruits and vegetables by 150%. This protectionist measure, which should last until next April, aims to stimulate national production, which suffers from competition from Moroccan products.
Faced with this decision, several Moroccan exporters suspended their deliveries, believing that costs had become too high. According to L’Economiste, the daily loss for the sector amounts to 1.8 million dirhams. Moroccan traders feel wronged and accuse the Mauritanian authorities of wanting to oust them from the market.
Moroccan traders also see the increase in customs tariffs as a reaction to Morocco’s partial ban on vegetable exports in 2023. Indeed, faced with the surge in prices on the domestic market, due to the drop in supply, the Moroccan government decided to suspend exports of onions, potatoes, and tomatoes to the West African market. This measure aimed to secure supplies to the national market and stabilize prices. They believe that the Mauritanian authorities took advantage of this situation to increase customs duties on other Moroccan products, to reduce their competitiveness. They also denounce Morocco’s increase in customs duties on watermelons from Mauritania, which constitutes a retaliatory measure. Finally, they criticize the Ministry of Agriculture for making unilateral decisions, without consulting the parties concerned.
An impact on deliveries to other African countries
The fruit and vegetable crisis between Morocco and Mauritania also has repercussions on deliveries to other African countries. As Mohamed Zemrani, president of the Moroccan Association of Exporters to Africa, explains to the newspaper, Mauritania is the only land access to other African countries. This is why it has become a transshipment point for goods. For this reason, the new tariffs apply to all goods transiting through the country, whether destined for Mauritania or other countries.
This situation leads to an increase in transport costs and a drop in demand for Moroccan products. Moroccan exporters fear losing market share to other countries, such as Spain, France, or Egypt, which benefit from preferential trade agreements with African countries.
Faced with this crisis, one solution envisaged by certain Moroccan producers is to settle in Mauritania. According to Mohamed Zemrani, the conditions are ripe for this: water from the Senegal River, fertile land, and proximity to markets. This option would make it possible to bypass customs obstacles and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the African market.
However, this solution is not without risks. It involves adapting to the climatic, health, and regulatory conditions of Mauritania. It also requires building partnerships with local players, who may take a dim view of the arrival of foreign competitors. Finally, it requires confronting the political and security instability that reigns in the region.
However, this fruit and vegetable crisis between Morocco and Mauritania is far from being resolved. It also raises the question of the right balance between protection of the internal market and opening to external markets.
