Morocco exported 1,200 tons of lemons to the UK between November 2024 and August 2025, worth $1.02 million. This volume sets a new annual record and exceeds Morocco’s overall lemon exports to the UK over the past decade, according to the platform, East Fruit.
“This is an unprecedented surge in Moroccan lemon exports,” a market analyst said. East Fruit reported that within ten months, Morocco rose from 31st to 11th place among UK lemon suppliers, making it overtake traditional producers such as Vietnam and Mexico.
The recent achievement overshadows a 17-year-old record set during the 2007/08 campaign.
In recent years, the UK has become a major destination for Moroccan fruits, ranking after Spain and France. Since 2023, Morocco has become the UK’s leading supplier of raspberries and has also earned top supplier positions for blueberries. Exports of watermelons, avocados, strawberries, and mandarins to the UK are also rising, a nod to the country’s measures to expand into European markets.
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Moroccan lemons had in the past held only a marginal share in a market that Spain, South Africa, and Brazil dominate. These countries collectively account for over 80% of UK imports while Germany and the Netherlands supply about 10%, leaving Morocco and other smaller exporters to compete for the remaining 10%.
And after four years of declining lemon volumes, Morocco is now coming back strong. Experts believe that maintaining quality, supply consistency, and competitive pricing will help the country sustain this growth, particularly against big producers from the Mediterranean and South America.
The rise in exports is also a testament to Morocco’s growing importance to UK food security. Moroccan vegetables accounted for 7.5% of British imports in 2023, according to the UK’s 2024 Security of Supply report.
Analysts say that this rapid increase is significant considering the challenges that Moroccan citrus producers have faced in recent years, including irregular weather patterns, droughts, and competition from Iberian suppliers.
Morocco lies on the northern frontier of the African continent and the country is separated from Europe, specifically Spain, by a little more than 600 miles of Mediterranean water and rocks.
The Mabhrebian nation is one of the richest countries in Africa. Retail, manufacturing, finance and tourism happen to be Morocco’s key areas of wealth generation with the country boasting of some of the most famous holiday destinations in the world.
