How to import sweet peppers from Morocco

At a glance

Sweet pepper season calendar in Morocco

The export season for Moroccan sweet peppers runs from November to May, with the peak between December and April. It is a shorter and later window than tomato’s. Sweet pepper needs more time in the plant to turn from green to red or yellow, and it is more demanding on night temperature. Indicative calendar for the 2025/26 season, based on our weekly loads:

Morocco complements Almería and the Netherlands in winter. Many buyers use it to cover demand peaks or to secure tricolour when one colour is missing from other origins. Confirm the colours available each week: in December there is usually more green than red.

Growing regions and varieties of Moroccan sweet pepper

Export sweet pepper comes from Souss-Massa, in the greenhouses of the Chtouka plain and around Agadir, where we load. It is the same area that produces tomato, which makes it easy to combine both products on the same truck. More information on the production areas is on our regions of origin in Morocco page.

Commercial types we work with

• California red, yellow and green: the square, four-lobed type. It is the main volume for wholesalers and retail.
• Lamuyo: rectangular and elongated, with thick walls. Much in demand in Spain and Portugal.
• Sweet pointed: elongated and pointed, in red, for specialist segments.
• Tricolour flow-pack: three peppers (red, yellow and green) packed together for the shelf.

Sizes from M to GG, measured by diameter and length depending on type. Packed in a 5 kg box or in a 3-piece flow-pack. You will find full specifications on the Moroccan sweet pepper wholesale product page.

EU import requirements for Moroccan sweet pepper

Fresh sweet pepper (CN code 0709 60 10) has five blocks of EU entry requirements. The general framework of documents and customs is in our guide to importing fruit and vegetables from Morocco into the EU.

1. Phytosanitary certificate and pepper-specific requirements

Like all fresh fruit (except pineapple, banana, coconut, durian and date), sweet pepper needs a phytosanitary certificate. In Morocco it is issued by ONSSA. Sources: Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Art. 72 (accessed 18/10/2026) and ONSSA (accessed 18/10/2026).

Capsicum fruit also has special requirements under Annex VII of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, including against the moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta and the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda. Depending on the country and pest, the certificate must carry an additional declaration (for example, that the country or area is free of the pest). Source: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, Annex VII (accessed 18/10/2026).

At the border control post (Algeciras or Almería) the CHED-PP in TRACES is presented and phytosanitary checks are carried out. Sources: Regulation (EU) 2017/625 (accessed 18/10/2026) and European Commission, TRACES (accessed 18/10/2026).

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

The 2012 EU–Morocco agricultural agreement liberalised most fresh vegetables. To apply the preference, origin must be proven with an EUR.1 or an origin declaration on the invoice from an approved exporter (Protocol 4). Sources: Decision 2012/497/EU (accessed 18/10/2026) and Access2Markets (accessed 18/10/2026).

3. Quotas and entry price

Unlike tomato, sweet pepper is not in the EU entry price regime, which covers products such as tomato, cucumber, courgette, citrus or table grapes. Source: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/891 (accessed 18/10/2026).

4. Reinforced residue controls

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 applies reinforced controls to certain products and origins because of the risk of pesticide residues, and sweet pepper from some third countries has been listed in its annexes. The list is reviewed every six months. Source: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 (accessed 18/10/2026).

5. MRLs and marketing standards

Residues must respect the MRLs of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. Sources: Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 (accessed 18/10/2026) and EU Pesticides Database (accessed 18/10/2026). Sweet pepper is a crop with many authorised active substances and frequent private requirements from retailers, so multi-residue analysis per lot is advisable.

Sweet pepper has a specific marketing standard in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429: classes Extra, I and II, minimum size, uniformity and marking. Packs with mixed colours must state the colours and their origin. Sources: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 (accessed 18/10/2026) and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2430 (accessed 18/10/2026). In Morocco, technical export control is carried out by EACCE (accessed 18/10/2026).

Logistics: temperature, mixed loads and transport type

Sweet pepper travels in our cool lane, with a set point of 7–10 °C and relative humidity of 90–95 %. Below 7 °C it suffers chilling injury: skin pitting, spots and rots when it returns to ambient temperature. With low humidity it loses water and wrinkles. Its shelf life is 2–3 weeks, longer than tomato’s.

Compatibility in mixed loads

• Tomato: compatible. The truck is set to a common set point (around 10 °C) and sweet pepper tolerates the low ethylene from tomato at that temperature. See the guide to importing tomatoes from Morocco.
• Courgette, cucumber and aubergine: compatible in temperature. Sweet pepper gives off very little ethylene, so it combines well with ethylene-sensitive vegetables. See the guide to importing courgettes from Morocco.
• Melon and ripe avocado: same lane, but better kept apart because of the ethylene they give off.
• Soft fruit and green beans: not compatible. They travel in the cold lane (0–4 °C), on another truck in the same departure.

Shared truck, full load or container?

Indicative transit from the last loading point: 2–3 days to Spain, 3–4 days to France, 4 days to Milan and 5 days to Germany and Rotterdam. The crossing is via Tanger Med → Algeciras or Nador → Almería.

Quality control of sweet pepper at origin

Each pallet is checked in the store before loading, against the written specification we agree with you. For sweet pepper we check:

• Size and shape: diameter and length with a gauge, number of lobes in California, straightness in Lamuyo and uniformity per box.
• Colour: percentage of red and yellow colouring. A pepper with incomplete colour change is reclassified.
• Firmness and wall: firm fruit, thick wall, no wrinkles from dehydration.
• Defects: bruises, sunburn, blossom-end rot, thrips or caterpillar damage, and stem condition.
• Pulp temperature: with a probe in several boxes, to confirm the product is at 7–10 °C before loading.
• Packing: correct net weight of 5 kg, correct composition of the tricolour, sealed flow-pack and label with origin and class.

Before departure you receive a photo report per pallet: overall view, open box, detail of colour and size, and pulp temperature reading. Each trailer carries a temperature logger. More information at our quality control at origin page.

Costs and price of Moroccan sweet pepper delivered

The price of Moroccan sweet pepper depends a lot on colour: red and yellow are priced above green, and the tricolour flow-pack carries higher packing costs. Quotes change each week, so we do not publish fixed prices in this guide. See current prices per pallet at sweet pepper and vegetable prices from Morocco, wholesale.

With 168 boxes of 5 kg per pallet (about 840 kg net), sweet pepper carries fewer kilos per pallet than tomato, so freight weighs a little more per kilo. Combining sweet pepper and tomato on the same shared truck is the most common way to spread that cost. For a fixed quote, contact our sales team.

Common mistakes when importing sweet peppers from Morocco

1. Transporting below 7 °C. Chilling injury does not show at unloading: it appears days later on the shelf.
2. Asking for red in November as if it were March. At the start of the season there is mostly green. Plan colours with the calendar.
3. Not checking the additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate. If it is missing, the consignment may be held at the border control post.
4. Confusing Lamuyo and California in the specification. They are different types, with different sizes and prices. State type, colour and size on each order line.
5. Not requesting multi-residue analyses. Sweet pepper is a product closely monitored by retailers. Ask for one analysis per lot or per week.
6. Low humidity in the truck. Below 90 % RH, sweet pepper wrinkles and loses weight.
7. Tricolour badly composed. Check in the origin photos that each flow-pack has all three colours and the correct origin marking.

Planning to import more products? See all our guides to importing fruit and vegetables from Morocco.

Frequently asked questions about importing peppers from Morocco