The European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco have reached an agreement to extend preferential tariff treatment to the territory of Western Sahara

Last-Minute Deal Saves $31.8 Million USD Trade: EU, Morocco Secure Provisional Fisheries Agreement

EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, October 07, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

CJEU Ruling on Western Sahara Goods Dodged as ANFACO-CYTMA Applauds Efforts to Maintain Preferential Tariff Flows.

BRUSSELS/VIGO — An in extremis agreement was reached last Friday, October 3, 2025, guaranteeing the continued preferential trade flows of fishery products between the European Union (EU), Morocco, and Western Sahara. The deal came just one day before a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) would have dissolved key tariff preferences.

The CJEU ruling, issued on October 4, 2024, in joined cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P, stipulated that any EU agreement concerning Western Sahara required the consent of the Sahrawi people, effectively ending existing tariff preferences for products from the territory after a one-year grace period. That deadline was set to expire on Saturday, October 4, 2025.

Economic Impact and Strategic Imports

The Spanish canning and freezing industry, represented by ANFACO-CYTMA, had lobbied the Spanish Government and the European Commission intensely, estimating that the loss of preferential tariffs would have resulted in an annual impact exceeding 30 million euros (approximately $31.8 million USD) in tariff rates alone. (Using an approximate exchange rate of 1 EUR = $1.06 USD for the context of this financial impact).

These territories are considered a strategic area for the Spanish fishing industry, supplying frozen raw materials valued at over 610 million euros in 2024. Key imports included:

• Octopus: 29,269 tonnes

• Pilchardus Sardine: 15,380 tonnes

• Cuttlefish: 13,626 tonnes

• Squid: 20,336 tonnes

• Deep-Sea Shrimp: 3,232 tonnes

Provisional Application and Industry Relief

To resolve the looming trade crisis, the EU published a Notification on the provisional application of an Agreement with the Kingdom of Morocco in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) (2025/2042). This agreement technically modifies several protocols of the existing Association Agreement to create a legal basis for granting tariff preferences to goods originating in Western Sahara.

The agreement applies provisionally as of October 3, pending the European Parliament's formal consent, which is expected in the coming weeks. Products originating in Western Sahara and subject to the control of Moroccan customs authorities will now benefit from the same trade preferences as other goods under the Association Agreement.

Roberto Alonso, Secretary General of ANFACO-CYTMA, expressed the sector's relief: "There was a great deal of uncertainty that has been resolved, right at the limit... The positive resolution comes at a key moment to successfully negotiate new contracts during the ANUGA and CONXEMAR fairs currently taking place." The new technical framework requires that consignments originating in Western Sahara be identified by a reference to the territory of origin on the accompanying certificate of origin.

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