Morocco's olive oil sales to Spain increase hundredfold from low base

According to Spain's Ministry of Economy data, between January and April 2026, Morocco sold 10,384.7 tonnes of olive oil to Spain, a hundredfold increase from 103 tonnes in the same period a year earlier. In value terms, the rise was from €340,000 to €32.76 million, a 9,535% jump.

However, the dramatic percentage increase is largely explained by the low starting point. Moroccan oil still accounts for only a small fraction of the Spanish market. As of February 2026, Morocco supplied 7.48% of Spain's olive oil imports, up from 2.01% a year earlier. Spain's own production in the 2025-2026 season is around 1.295 million tonnes.

Shift in trade flows

The trade balance has also shifted: Spanish exports to Morocco fell from 2,721 tonnes in the first four months of 2025 to 673.72 tonnes in the same period of 2026 (a 75.2% drop). In value, exports declined from €11.11 million to €2.44 million. Consequently, the trade relationship has reversed: Spain now imports more from Morocco than it exports.

Reasons for Morocco's advance

Morocco's bumper harvest in 2025-2026 reached an estimated 200,000 tonnes, double the previous year, thanks to recovering olive groves after years of drought. Additionally, Moroccan oil benefits from lower prices and preferential trade conditions with the EU. EU purchases of Moroccan oil rose 712.6% between October 2025 and March 2026, though Tunisia remains the dominant non-EU supplier with 81% of imports.

Spain's production this season is 9% lower than the previous year, contributing to greater reliance on imports. In the first two months of 2026, Spain imported a total of 39,624.61 tonnes of olive oil. Morocco ranked fourth among suppliers, behind Tunisia (15,861.10 tonnes), Portugal (13,174.47 tonnes), and Italy (4,257.19 tonnes).

Traditional suppliers such as Turkey (-95.1%), Syria (-83.1%), and Argentina (-53.4%) have seen sharp declines, indicating a broader reshuffling of suppliers.