Morocco is expected to export nearly 550,000 tons of mandarins in the 2025/26 season, reaffirming its place among the world’s leading exporters despite mounting climate pressures and intensifying competition, Moroccan daily L’Economiste reported.
Mandarins and clementines now make up around 83% of Morocco’s total citrus exports, a concentration that has helped the country regularly rank among the world’s top five suppliers, the paper said.
Global trade in mandarins remains dominated by a small group of countries, notably Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa. These countries together hold most major import markets, L’Economiste noted.
World mandarin production stands between 38 million and 43 million tons, with China accounting for more than 60% of total output.
However, L’Economiste said that most Chinese production is consumed domestically, leaving international markets largely supplied by Mediterranean and Southern Hemisphere producers.
Morocco benefits from structural strengths such as logistical proximity to Europe and a production calendar that allows some varieties to enter EU markets when supply from competitors is still limited, the paper said.
For Morocco, regional competition is intensifying as Turkey and Egypt expand their presence with high volumes and competitive production costs. South Africa is also strengthening its position through heavy investment in its citrus sector, the daily said.
Despite these pressures, mandarins remain Morocco’s second‑largest agricultural export after tomatoes.
