Morocco has made remarkable strides in penetrating Japan’s frozen strawberry market in the last few years, significantly increasing its exports to 4,400 tons last year.
Just five years ago Morocco was Japan’s fifth-largest supplier. Now, Morocco is closing in on leading competitors, including Egypt, which exported 5,400 tons in 2023, and China, Japan’s top supplier at 10,700 tons, according to East Fruit.
With Morocco’s rapid growth narrowing the gap, Morocco and Egypt together accounted for around 35% of Japan’s total strawberry imports in 2023.
During the first half of this year, Morocco and Egypt have strengthened their market positions, capturing a combined 44% share of frozen strawberry imports to Japan.
While Egypt has maintained its consistent market share, Morocco’s recent surge highlights its growing influence in the market.
Asia remains a key market for frozen berries from both Morocco and Egypt.
Although Morocco has yet to establish a strong presence in Southeast Asia, the region’s rapidly growing trade in frozen fruits and berries presents new opportunities.
The potential for Moroccan exports to markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia was recently discussed in a training session on navigating the Southeast Asian market, signaling promising future growth for Morocco in the global frozen strawberry industry.
Morocco is now one the world’s top ten producers of strawberries, up from 15th in 2022. With demand for Moroccan strawberries having grown significantly by the end of 2023, Morocco exported a total of 22,400 tons.