Hot summer for canned tomatoes
After the slatted plywood and the mechanical carpets from Egypt, the bone of contention this time are canned tomatoes. The National Agribusiness Federation (Fenagri) complains of alleged dumping of exporters from the land of the Pharaohs. This situation is said to be causing «significant damage» to national operators.
Fenagri has therefore asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to open an anti-dumping investigation. The request was made on behalf of Conserves de Meknès, Conserveries marocaines Doha, and Moroccan Food Processing. These three companies account for 96% of national production. The Department of Foreign Trade opened an investigation on Monday, August 07, 2023.
This new trade defense case is still in its early stages. One of its particularities is that it involves a country with which Morocco has signed a free trade agreement. The Agadir Agreement, which came into force in March 2007, covers Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.
To claim a trade defense measure, the complainant must have the “National Production Branch” status, that is to say have a significant share of production to have the legitimacy to bring a case before the Moroccan Government. This is the case in this case since the three Moroccan companies largely dominate the production of concentrated or pureed tomatoes, whether canned, in glasses, jars, or closed containers… These characteristics are important since they limit the scope of anti-dumping to a specific product, thus preventing the authorities from casting a wide net, with the risk of penalizing non-similar products.
Hence another detail on the use of the product and which is for “food use” in households, restaurants, and the food industry.
What is it exactly that caught the attention of the Federation and of the complainant companies? Fenagri representatives remained unreachable.
For its part, the Ministry of Industry and Trade speaks of «imports of canned tomatoes having experienced a remarkable increase in absolute terms and in relation to the national production and consumption» . The opinion of the Ministry issued on August 01, 2023, does not provide figures. In principle, the investigation-opening report contains these data. It will be “sent to interested parties” who request it from the Department of the Commercial Defense and Regulation Directorate. Contrary to the good practice that prevailed before, the investigation-opening report is no longer posted online!
Imports of Egyptian tomato paste amounted to 7,394 tons for a value of 115 million Dirhams (USD 11 million) in 2022, according to the Foreign Exchange Office. Egypt has topped the rankings since 2018.
Moreover, the volume of national production of concentrated and pureed tomatoes remains a mystery. In the general interest, investigators must have accurate statistics.
Faiçal FAQUIHI
