According to data published by EastFruit, a specialized magazine, between October 2025 and June 2026, the United Kingdom imported around 10,400 tons of Moroccan sweet peppers worth more than £17 million. These figures represent a 60% increase compared with the 2024/2025 marketing year and nearly three times the volumes shipped in the 2023/2024 marketing year.
According to the same data, Moroccan exports to the United Kingdom have grown 5.8-fold over the past three years, with an average annual growth rate of 80%. This reflects Morocco’s broader progress in the UK fresh produce sector, where it is challenging Spain’s dominance in the mandarin market while strengthening its position in berries and other vegetables, among other products.
Moroccan sweet peppers are available in the United Kingdom almost year-round, with the main export season running from October to May. Shipments peak during the winter months, coinciding with the highest levels of import demand in the UK.
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In the 2025/2026 marketing year, the largest monthly volume was recorded in February, when imports reached 1,800 tons. During that period, Morocco accounted for more than 9% of the United Kingdom’s total sweet pepper imports.
Meanwhile, Spain and the Netherlands remain the dominant exporters of peppers to Britain, together accounting for more than 80% of UK imports, while Germany currently ranks third.
Morocco has managed to narrow the gap to less than 1,000 tons. With German volumes remaining stable over three years and Moroccan shipments rising rapidly, competition for the top three positions is intensifying. France, meanwhile, continues to lose ground. Its imports fell by half compared with the previous year, marking a third consecutive year of decline. As a result, France has fallen behind both Germany and Morocco and now risks dropping out of the top five suppliers altogether, with Belgium potentially overtaking it thanks to its seasonal production peak in late summer and early autumn.
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According to the specialized magazine’s report, Morocco has once again proved, for the third consecutive marketing year, to be one of the fastest-growing suppliers in the UK sweet pepper market. If the current momentum continues, Moroccan exports could surpass German volumes by the 2026/2027 marketing year, while France faces further erosion of its market share.
The competitive landscape in the UK sweet pepper market is shifting in favor of more flexible and faster-growing suppliers. Traditional exporters, whose export volumes have remained stable without significant growth, are gradually losing market share to Morocco and other active players in the market.
