How to import green beans from Morocco

At a glance

Green bean season calendar from Morocco

Moroccan green beans are a winter product. They cover the months when outdoor European production is stopped. The window is set by staggered sowings in Souss greenhouses and, in spring, by Gharb plots. Data for the 2025/26 season; each season shifts by one or two weeks depending on autumn temperatures.

To plan a weekly programme, reserve volume before October. December weeks fill first. The full calendar for all products is on the Moroccan green bean wholesale product page.

Growing regions and green bean varieties in Morocco

We work green beans in two of the six regions of origin described in Moroccan production regions.

Souss-Massa (Agadir, Chtouka)

The main export area. Beans are grown in greenhouses, usually on trellises, and hand-picked every few days. The mild Atlantic climate allows production from October to April. We load in Agadir.

Gharb (Kénitra)

Fertile plains north of Rabat. They supply volume in spring and extend the season to May. We load in Kénitra, on the route to Tanger Med.

Commercial types

• Extra-fine: the thinnest pod, very much in demand in France and foodservice. Lower yield per hectare and higher price.
• Fine: the most versatile type for wholesalers and retail.
• Bobby: round, thicker pod, for markets that want more flesh.
• Flat bean: wide pod, with specific demand in Spain and Portugal.

Size is defined by the maximum pod diameter. In commercial practice, extra-fine is around 6 mm and fine slightly above.

EU import requirements for green beans from Morocco

This section summarises the rules for fresh green beans (CN 0708 20 00). Accessed: 18/10/2026. Check the consolidated versions before each season.

Phytosanitary certificate

Since 14 December 2019, the EU requires a phytosanitary certificate for all fresh fruit and vegetables from third countries, except five exempt fruits (pineapple, coconut, durian, banana and date). Green beans are not among the exemptions. ONSSA issues it in Morocco before loading. Source: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, Art. 72 and Annex XI and European Commission, plant trade with third countries (accessed 18/10/2026).

Border checks (CHED-PP)

The goods enter through a border control post: Algeciras if crossed via Tanger Med, Almería if crossed via Nador. The importer or their agent pre-notifies the consignment with the CHED-PP document in TRACES. In addition, it is advisable to check that the product and origin are not listed in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on reinforced controls.

Preferential origin: EUR.1 and the EU–Morocco agreement

Agricultural trade is governed by the EU–Morocco Association Agreement and the exchange of notes approved by Decision 2012/497/EU. Green beans are not in the EU entry price regime and, according to our check, are not subject to a quota. To apply the preferential tariff, proof of origin is required: an EUR.1 certificate endorsed by Moroccan customs or an exporter’s origin declaration where applicable.

All our beans come from Souss-Massa and Gharb.

Maximum residue levels (MRLs)

Beans must comply with the MRLs of Regulation (EC) 396/2005. Each active substance has its own limit for pods in the EU pesticides database (accessed 18/10/2026). ONSSA checks residues at export. We also request multi-residue analysis per producer and season, and can adapt the list to your customer’s requirements, which are often stricter than the legal MRL.

Marketing standards

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 applies the general marketing standard to green beans: whole, sound, clean produce of sound, fair and marketable quality, with the country of origin indicated. The regulation has no specific standard for them. Standards are published by UNECE. In Morocco, EACCE checks the conformity of exports.

Logistics: cold, mixed loads and transport type

Green beans lose water very fast. A pod that goes soft does not recover. That is why logistics starts in the field: hand harvesting and pre-cooling within hours, before packing.

Temperature lane

• Set point of 4–7 °C and relative humidity of 90–95 %.
• Below about 4 °C for several days, chilling injury appears: spots, pitting and browning after unloading.
• Above 8 °C dehydration and yellowing accelerate.
• Temperature logger in each trailer; you receive the log if you request it.

Compatibility in mixed loads

Green beans are sensitive to ethylene: they turn yellow and lose their green colour. They are never loaded with melon, avocado, ripe tomato or stone fruit. They travel in the cold lane with soft fruit. If you combine beans with Moroccan strawberries, wholesale or with Moroccan blueberries and raspberries, we plan the position in the trailer and the set point, because soft fruit is carried at 0–2 °C. For each booking we confirm the solution: a trailer with a partition or a set point compatible with the length of the journey.

Shared truck, full load or container

Shared truck departures are weekly, up to daily on demand, with cut-off 48 hours before. Indicative transit from the last loading point: 2–3 days to Spain, 3–4 to France and 5 to Germany.

Quality control at origin

Our inspectors check each pallet before loading, against a single specification per product. The full method is at quality control at origin.

What we check on green beans

• Size: pod diameter, with size and length as per your specification.
• Turgidity: snap test; the pod should break cleanly without bending.
• Colour: uniform green, no yellowing or pale areas.
• Seeds: no seeds visible through the pod, a sign of late harvest and fibre.
• Defects: rust or rub marks, insect damage, broken, curved or stringy pods.
• Trimming: in punnets, clean cut and no oxidation at the ends.
• Pulp temperature: measured at loading; it must already be within the set point.

°Brix does not apply to green beans.

What you receive

Before the truck leaves you receive photos of the pallet, an open box, the pods on the size gauge and the temperature probe. The report includes lot, producer, harvest date, results per control point and logger number. Every pallet is traceable to the farm.

Costs and price of green beans from Morocco

The price of Moroccan green beans changes each week with supply and with the weather in Europe. That is why we do not publish fixed figures here. Check live prices for fruit and vegetables from Morocco for your loading week.

Components of the delivered cost

1. Product at farm: the largest component. It depends on type (extra-fine costs more than fine) and month.
2. Packing: trimmed punnets are labour-intensive and add a clear cost compared with bulk.
3. Refrigerated transport: charged per pallet. With about 560 kg net per pallet, it weighs less per kilo than for heavier products.
4. Strait crossing: Tanger Med → Algeciras or Nador → Almería ferry, included in the per-pallet price.
5. Customs and border: import clearance, phytosanitary inspection and border control post charges.

We normally work DAP: you receive a final price per pallet in your market. Under FCA you pay for product and packing at our loading point and arrange transport yourself.

Common mistakes when importing green beans

1. Cooling too much. Loading beans at soft-fruit temperature for the whole journey causes chilling injury that shows the day after unloading.
2. Mixing them with fruit that produces ethylene. One pallet of melon or avocado next to them is enough to turn them yellow.
3. Not defining size in writing. “Fine” does not mean the same to every supplier. Set maximum diameter, length and tolerances.
4. Delaying pre-cooling. Ask how many hours pass between harvest and the cold room. It is the factor that most affects shelf life.
5. Ordering fixed volume in May or October. These are transition months with low volumes; adjust the programme.
6. Forgetting the end customer’s requirements. Many chains ask for fewer active substances or limits below the legal MRL. Pass them to the supplier before the season.
7. Leaving the paperwork to the end. Without a phytosanitary certificate or a correct EUR.1, the pallet waits at the border and loses days of shelf life.

If this is your first import from Morocco, start with the general guide to importing fruit and vegetables into the EU and review the other product import guides.

Frequently asked questions about importing green beans from Morocco