How to import oranges from Morocco

At a glance

Orange season calendar from Morocco

Moroccan oranges cover seven months: Navel in winter and Maroc Late in spring. The windows in the table are what we loaded in the 2025/26 season. Each year they can shift by one or two weeks depending on autumn rain and cold.

The weekly status of each variety is on the Moroccan orange wholesale product page.

Growing regions and orange varieties in Morocco

We load oranges in three areas. Their climate explains the calendar and the character of the fruit. You will find a map of all of them on the regions of origin for Moroccan fruit page.

Souss-Massa (Agadir)

Morocco’s main export region. It has Navel and Maroc Late orchards between the Atlas and the Atlantic. The mild climate gives fruit of good size. We load in Agadir and cross via Tanger Med → Algeciras.

Gharb (Kénitra)

Fertile plains north of Rabat, with deep soils and water. They supply Navel and Maroc Late, loaded in Kénitra, a few hours from Tanger Med. It is the closest origin to Europe by road.

Haouz (Marrakech)

Warm inland plains. Large day-to-night temperature differences favour colour. We load in Marrakech.

Varieties we import

For the juice channel (HORECA, freshly squeezed in store), Maroc Late is usually the best ratio of juice to price. For eating, Navel in January–February.

EU import requirements for oranges from Morocco

Oranges are one of the most regulated products entering the EU: plant health, entry price and their own marketing standard. All sources in this section were accessed on 18/10/2026.

1. Phytosanitary certificate and border checks

• Citrus fruit from third countries needs a phytosanitary certificate (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, Annex XI). In Morocco it is issued by ONSSA after inspecting the lot.
• At the EU border the CHED-PP is presented in TRACES. The border control post at Algeciras or Almería carries out documentary and identity checks and, according to the frequency set, physical checks.
• Annex VII sets special requirements for Citrus fruit against Thaumatotibia leucotreta (false codling moth), Phyllosticta citricarpa (black spot), Xanthomonas citri and Pseudocercospora angolensis. For oranges (Citrus sinensis) from countries where false codling moth is present, the EU has required a pre-cooling and cold treatment regime since 2022.
• Fruit must arrive without stalks or leaves and with origin marked on the packaging (Annex VII of the same regulation).

2. Preferential origin: EUR.1

Moroccan oranges benefit from the EU–Morocco Association Agreement and the 2012 agricultural agreement (Decision 2012/497/EU). The preference only applies with proof of origin: an EUR.1 certificate or an exporter’s origin declaration, as applicable. Check current duties in TARIC and in Access2Markets.

3. Entry price and quota

• Fresh sweet orange is subject to the EU entry price regime from 1 December to 31 May, exactly the window of the Moroccan season.
• If the entry price of the consignment is equal to or above the agreed price, the specific duty is zero. If it is 2, 4, 6 or 8 % lower, that same percentage of the agreed price is paid. Below 92 %, the WTO-bound specific duty applies.
• In practice, the declared value of the consignment must be consistent with the entry price. Small-size or low-value oranges are the most exposed.

4. Maximum residue levels (MRLs)

Oranges must comply with the MRLs of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. Almost all export oranges receive post-harvest treatment with fungicides and wax. Check each active substance in the EU pesticides database and request multi-residue analysis of the lot. If your customer requires stricter limits than the legal ones, or fruit without post-harvest treatment, state it before buying.

5. Marketing standard

• Citrus fruit has a specific standard in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429, applicable from 1 January 2025, with classes Extra, I and II, minimum maturity, sizes and marking.
• Maturity: minimum juice content and minimum sugar/acid ratio.
• Colour: degreening is allowed if the maturity requirements are met.
• Marking: the packaging must state any preservatives or other chemical substances applied after harvest, where applicable.
• Conformity checks at origin are carried out by EACCE.

The customs steps common to all products are in the general guide to importing Moroccan fruit and vegetables into the EU.

Logistics: temperature, mixed loads and truck type

Temperature lane

Oranges travel in the cool lane, with a set point of 4–8 °C and 85–90 % relative humidity. They are more tolerant than clementine, but if kept below 3 °C for several days, cold spotting can appear. At high temperatures and low humidity they lose weight and firmness.

Compatibility in mixed loads

Shared truck, full load or container

• Shared truck: from 1 pallet. Oranges are heavy: a pallet of 64 boxes of 15 kg is about 960 kg net. They combine well with clementine and avocado in groupage. Weekly departures on our shared refrigerated trucks from Morocco.
• Full load: from about 20–24 pallets. By weight, a full truck of oranges usually reaches the payload limit before the pallet limit. We calculate it with you.
• Mixed reefer container: suitable for Maroc Late programmes to Rotterdam and northern Europe. Oranges handle the extra days at sea well. More information at full load and mixed reefer container.

Indicative transit from the last loading point: 2–3 days to Spain, 3 to Lisbon and Perpignan, 4 to France and Italy, and 5 to Germany and the Netherlands.

Quality control at origin

Each consignment of oranges is checked in the store before loading. The protocol is described in our quality control at origin.

What we check

• Size: sample measured per pallet and checked against the requested code (usually 2–8).
• Colour: percentage of coloured surface, degreening and re-greening in late Maroc Late.
• Internal maturity: °Brix, acidity, sugar/acid ratio and juice content.
• Skin defects: wind scars, oleocellosis, rough or wrinkled skin (creasing), bruising, rot.
• Firmness: especially in Navel at the end of the season.
• Pulp temperature: before loading, target 4–8 °C.
• Packing and marking: net weight of 15 kg or nets; label with class, size, origin and post-harvest treatments.

What the buyer receives

A report before departure with photos of the pallet, open boxes, cut fruit, refractometer reading and pulp temperature, with lot and producer. If anything does not match the order, we call you before loading.

Costs and price of Moroccan oranges delivered

Oranges are a low unit-price product with a lot of weight. That is why transport weighs more in the final cost than for clementine or avocado.

We normally work DAP to your market, with a final price per pallet, or FCA if you have your own transport. See live wholesale prices for Moroccan oranges or write to us via contact.

Common mistakes when importing oranges from Morocco

1. Buying Navel in April. At the end of the season Navel loses firmness and juice. In spring, switch to Navelate or Maroc Late.
2. Ignoring the entry price. Between December and May, a declared value that is too low can generate specific duties. Check it with your customs agent.
3. Calculating the truck by pallets and not by weight. Oranges reach the payload limit first. Confirm total kilos when booking.
4. Forgetting proof of origin. Without a valid EUR.1 or origin declaration the EU–Morocco preference is lost.
5. Not asking for fruit without post-harvest treatment when the customer requires it. Many juice or grated-peel customers ask for it. It must be agreed with the store before packing.
6. Loading with tomato or cucumber. At 4–8 °C these vegetables suffer chilling injury.
7. Not checking re-greening in late Maroc Late. The fruit is good inside, but some customers reject it for colour. Ask for photos.

Compare with other products in the index of fruit and vegetable import guides from Morocco.

Frequently asked questions about importing oranges from Morocco