Spain Denounces Fraud Attempts to Sell Moroccan Products As Spanish

Rabat – The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) has submitted a bill to Congress to counter fraud associated with putting labels of Spanish origin on Moroccan fruits and vegetables before selling them in the market.

El Pais reported that PSOE is urging the Spanish government to take measures to end such fraud that is impacting local producers.

Fruits and vegetables of Moroccan, Egyptian, and Turkish origin were fraudulently labeled as Spanish, added the Spanish newspaper.

David Sanchez, President of the National Association of the Primary Sector (ANSEPRIM) denounced such fraud, underlining its impact on the prosperity of farmers and the health of consumers.

He also claimed that the imported products contained “prohibited substances” that might harm the consumers.

“The economic advantage is enormous. Producing a kilogram of tomatoes in Morocco costs 6 or 8 cents due, among other things, to cheap labor, or the lack of environmental safety regulations,… while in Spain it can cost 30 or 35 cents at least,” Sanchez added.

Sanchez blamed the continuity of such fraud on the absence of control systems in the ports of Algeciras and Motril, adding that the change of products’ labels takes place in Spanish industrial areas like the ones in El Ejido, Almeria.

Andres Gongora, President of the Federation of Farmers and Breeders Organizations of Almeria, echoed Sanchez’s comments, noting the lack of traceability of products sold in Spanish supermarkets and European distribution centers such as in Munich, Germany, and Perpignan, France.

“There have been some very egregious cases. Before, they put the fake Spanish label directly above the one that indicated the Moroccan origin of the product,” he said. In December 2021, the Spanish department of Customs and Special Taxes reported that Moroccan fruit and vegetable exports to Spain stood at €608 million, representing 65.7% of the total exports coming from countries outside Europe.