Cereals: Morocco Becomes France’s Top Non-EU Client

Morocco Becomes France’s Top Non-EU Grain Client

Morocco has risen to the top position among French cereal clients located outside the European Union, following an impressive 82% increase in its purchases during the commercial campaign from July 2025 to June 2026. According to data released on Friday, October 23, by FranceAgriMer, French grain exports to the kingdom reached €754 million, approximately 8.15 billion dirhams.

This surge of €339 million compared to the previous campaign, during which Moroccan purchases amounted to €415 million, allowed Morocco to surpass the United Kingdom. UK imports of French cereals, conversely, saw a decline of 6%, dropping to €395 million.

The gap between the two markets has now widened to €359 million, highlighting Morocco’s growing prominence among the international markets for French grain production.

Morocco Climbs to Fourth Place Globally

The increase in Moroccan purchases has also propelled the kingdom up the global rankings of France’s customers, moving from sixth to fourth place, behind Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain.

French grain exports to Belgium totaled €1.289 billion despite a 9% decline, while exports to the Netherlands rose by 2% to €983 million. Spain recorded purchases of €876 million, a 9% increase, while Germany reached €516 million, an 8% rise.

Other markets have also shown positive trends. French grain sales to Italy rose by 15% to €467 million, while those to China increased significantly by 63% to €265 million.

Outside the European Union, several destinations experienced particularly significant percentage increases, notably Saudi Arabia, with €195 million, reflecting an increase of 279%, and Egypt, with €160 million, up by 271%. However, these amounts remain markedly lower than those recorded for Morocco.

The Kingdom Accounts for 21.7% of Non-EU Sales

Morocco’s weight in French grain exports has strengthened during the last campaign. The kingdom represented 21.7% of French cereal exports destined for countries outside the European Union, up from 16.8% a year earlier.

Its share of total French cereal exports abroad reached 9.3%, according to calculations based on FranceAgriMer statistics.

On a global scale, France exported €8.101 billion worth of cereals during the 2025-2026 campaign, marking a 15% year-on-year increase. Sales to EU countries amounted to €4.634 billion, compared to €3.467 billion for markets outside the Union.

The French grain sector’s trade surplus reached €6.417 billion, up 22%. Wheat exports totaled €3.082 billion, a notable increase of 41%, while corn exports totaled €1.182 billion, rising by 2%. These figures concern all foreign destinations and not just deliveries to Morocco.

German Competition Remains a Concern

FranceAgriMer has also identified Germany as France’s main European competitor in the Moroccan grain market. However, the published data does not specify the value of German shipments to the kingdom or the distribution of Moroccan imports by country of origin.

Thus, the increase in French exports alone cannot sufficiently measure France’s changing market share in Morocco. A thorough analysis would require detailed data on total Moroccan imports, the volumes bought from each supplier, and the various categories of cereals involved.

Additionally, the 82% surge in French sales reflects their financial value. In the absence of detailed data on quantities actually delivered and average prices, it is not possible to accurately infer the trends in volumes imported by Morocco.

French Agricultural Sales to Morocco Reach €1.288 Billion

Beyond cereals, French exports of agricultural and food products, wood and its derivatives, as well as biodiesel to Morocco reached €1.288 billion, roughly 13.93 billion dirhams, between July 2025 and June 2026.

This amount, compared to €974 million during the previous campaign, represents an increase of €314 million, or 32.2%. Cereals now account for 58.5% of this total, underscoring their significance in agricultural exchanges between both countries.

Morocco also absorbed 66% of France’s exports of these categories to North Africa, up from approximately 57% a year prior. French sales to this region reached €1.948 billion, of which €1.288 billion were directed to Morocco, €275 million to Tunisia, and €205 million to Algeria.

Thus, the Moroccan market represents nearly two-thirds of France’s North African outlets in the product categories identified by FranceAgriMer.

Mixed Trends in Other Agricultural Sectors

Other agricultural and food sectors have displayed more contrasting results. French exports of other agricultural and food products to Morocco reached €136 million, a 2% increase. Milk and dairy product sales grew by 23% to €93 million, while sales of wood and its derivatives increased by 9% to €85 million.

Conversely, exports of live animals and animal genetic material fell by 49% to €39 million. Oilseed sales decreased by 45% to €29 million, while fruit and vegetable exports increased by 21% to €22 million.

Machinery and equipment intended for agriculture and food processing also experienced a 32% increase, reaching €156 million. However, this category is accounted for separately and is not included in the total of €1.288 billion attributed to agricultural and food products, wood, and biodiesel.

Value Increase Does Not Indicate Volume Trends

The figures published by FranceAgriMer confirm the strengthening of the Moroccan market in French grain exports and several categories of agricultural products. They also highlight the kingdom’s advancement in France’s customer rankings, both globally and outside the European Union.

However, the report does not detail the quantities of cereals actually delivered to Morocco, their distribution among wheat, barley, corn, and other products, nor the average prices charged. It also lacks details on importing companies, commercial contracts, unloading ports, or shipping schedules.

Therefore, the 82% increase should be interpreted as a rise in the value of French exports to Morocco. The actual evolution of volumes and the distribution of supplies among different supplier countries necessitate supplementary data.