The operational blockade of customs at the Port of Algeciras is affecting fish exports from Morocco
The lack of human resources to deal with the increase in controls is causing a bottleneck that is affecting Moroccan fish exporters
The Association of Importers of Perishable Products of the Port of Algeciras (AIMPA) has issued a statement warning of the situation in the Port of Algeciras, one of the main ports in the Mediterranean, through which goods from Morocco enter Europe.
AIMPA denounces the situation of operational blockage, which is jeopardising essential traffic of live and fresh goods from Morocco to Europe. Specifically, the sectors most affected would be fresh fish, fruit and vegetables.
H1 system
According to the importers' statement, Moroccan exporters have reported delays of between 24 and 72 hours in the passage of goods through customs. This delay is due to the implementation of the new H1 system.
H1 is the new mandatory electronic system in the European Union for import declarations, which came into operation on 14 October, replacing the old Single Document. Its aim is to modernise customs with a uniform data structure, based on the Union Customs Code, improving the efficiency, traceability and security of commercial operations.
According to Moroccan exporters, the recent implementation of the H1 system has caused delays in customs processing of between 24 and 72 hours, which are believed to be due to tighter controls and a lack of sufficient staff to handle the growing volume of operations.
These delays have resulted in consignments of fresh fish being held up for hours at port facilities. In the case of products as fresh as fish, this immobilisation leads to a deterioration in product quality, which has in some cases resulted in European distributors rejecting the goods.
EUR1 certificate
In addition to the complications arising from the entry into force of the H1 system, there are delays caused by inspections related to EUR1 certificates, which are still in the testing phase between Morocco and the European Union.
The EUR1 certifies the preferential origin of goods and is issued when products meet certain criteria established by trade agreements, such as having a specific country of origin or having undergone sufficient processing in that country. They are essential for obtaining the tariff benefits derived from the agreements signed between the European Union and Morocco.
The accumulated delays between the implementation of the new H1 system and the EUR1 Certificate have caused a bottleneck in the control procedures for the import and export of goods, known as orange and red circuits.
The orange circuit involves a documentary review to verify the accuracy of the declaration and the documents submitted, without physical inspection of the cargo. The red circuit includes both a document review and a physical inspection of the goods.
The AIMPA statement warns that, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could lead to an imminent halt in shipments that would affect not only the fishing sector, but also the reputation of the Port of Algeciras as a benchmark for international trade.
The association has reported that a formal complaint is being prepared for the European Union, highlighting the lack of human and technical resources and calling for an immediate solution to unblock the traffic of perishable goods, which is key to the regional and cross-border economy.
Port of Algeciras
In response to questions from Atalayar, the Port Authority of Algeciras has stated that this issue is the responsibility of the Customs Service, which is responsible for the change in procedure and the implementation of the H1 system. They add that they are closely monitoring the situation and working to resolve it as soon as possible.