The Spanish canning and processing industry could be affected if Morocco temporarily suspends exports of frozen sardines from February 1, according to ANFACO-CYTMA. The measure, announced by the Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries of Morocco, seeks to prioritize domestic supply in the face of a shortage of landings, but Spain depends heavily on these imports: between January and October 2025, 27,400 tons arrived, 94% of the total from outside the EU.
ANFACO-CYTMA, which already conveyed its concern to the Spanish Government and the European Commission in October 2025, stresses that the sustainability of the stock must be managed technically, with collaboration from entities such as the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) and control of discharges, avoiding protectionist measures that could harm industrial activity and employment.
The Secretary General of ANFACO-CYTMA, Roberto Alonso, warns that the decision is contradictory: it seeks to protect the Moroccan domestic market but ensures raw material for subsequent export to Europe, affecting Spanish commercial interests. The EU imported 17,538 tons of canned sardines from Morocco in 2025, consolidating the country as the main non-EU supplier and competitor of the Spanish industry, which produced 13,503 tons of canned goods in 2024.
The association recalls that any restriction must be proportionate, motivated and consistent with international commitments, including the rules of the WTO and the EU-Morocco Association Agreement, and calls for management based on transparency, cooperation and commercial stability, compatible with the sustainability of the resource and legal certainty.
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