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Marrakech – Ceuta has imported 4,122 tons of sand and gravel from Morocco through its commercial customs post since the border reopened. A total of 130 trucks have crossed the Tarajal border carrying construction materials into the Spanish enclave. No other significant trade route has materialized.
According to El Faro de Ceuta, the imports have totaled 4,122,800 kilograms of sand, gravel, and other aggregates, citing sources from Spain’s central administration. Transfers operate Monday through Friday and are restricted to products listed in a guide issued to local businesses by the Spanish government delegation.
In practice, the customs post serves only one sector. Construction companies in Ceuta source these materials from neighboring Morocco, making sand the sole consistent trade route since commercial operations began. Products in high demand, such as fresh fish, have yet to find a viable path through the crossing.
Spain’s central government points to the sand imports as proof the customs post works. Local business leaders disagree. The CECE, Ceuta’s main business confederation, has publicly stated the post operates without clear rules, legal certainty, or conditions comparable to any standard commercial crossing.
Read also: Raw Material Imports from Morocco to Ceuta See Steady Rise
“No businessman in Ceuta is going to base his business on this customs post while it continues operating under these conditions,” said CECE leader Arantxa Campos.
Local fishmongers have been among the hardest hit. They had expected the customs post to facilitate regular imports of fresh fish from Morocco. Yet that never happened.
Importing fish from the Iberian Peninsula remains the only option, despite higher costs, longer delivery times, and a narrower product range. Fishmongers have criticized the lack of political action to make Moroccan fish imports affordable and practical.
Exports from Ceuta remain largely symbolic. The only permitted outbound shipments involve hygiene products and automotive materials.
Melilla, another Spanish-occupied city in northern Morocco, faces similar constraints. In 2026, Melilla has so far recorded 42 imports from Morocco and four exports – mostly appliances. Imports have consisted mainly of furniture and pastry products. Melilla’s business association has also reported minimal customs activity.
The so-called traveler regime adds another layer of frustration. It currently operates in one direction only, allowing goods to enter from Morocco into both enclaves but blocking residents and tourists from carrying products into Morocco.
