EU-Mexico agreement: Spanish tuna fleet demands a level playing field for tuna imports

EU-MEXICO TRADE AGREEMENT

The Spanish tuna fleet, grouped under OPAGAC, is demanding that the new trade agreement between the European Union and Mexico include guarantees that tuna imports meet the same sustainability and labor standards required of EU producers. The organization warns of the risk to the canning industry in regions like Galicia and the Basque Country if fair competition is not ensured.

---

The Spanish tuna sector is asking for guarantees ahead of market liberalization with Mexico

The imminent liberalization of imports of precooked tuna loins and canned tuna within the framework of the new trade agreement between the Unión Europea y México This has set off alarm bells in the Spanish fishing sector. Madrid, the Organización de Productores Asociados de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores (OPAGAC) It demands that this trade opening be linked to the application of equivalent conditions to Mexican products to guarantee fair competition and protect the national value chain.

The sector's main concern is that the entry of fishery products that do not meet the rigorous standards set by the UE imposes on its own fleet in matters of sustainability, traceability and socio-labor conditionsThis regulatory asymmetry could generate unfair competition, directly harming community operators.

Fair competition to protect domestic industry

The debate centers on the need to establish a level playing field for all actors operating in the EU market. As explained Julio Morón, managing director of OPAGACThe sector's stance is not protectionist, but rather a defense of coherence and fairness.

"Trade liberalization can only be positive if it is accompanied by mechanisms that ensure that all products entering the European market meet standards equivalent to those required of EU operators."Says Morón. "It's not about stopping trade, but about ensuring fair competition. Españaand especially in regions like Galicia and the País VascoTuna supports a vast industrial, fishing, and canning value chain of enormous economic and social importance. If we allow the entry of products that do not meet the same standards, we jeopardize jobs, investment, the industrial fabric, and the future of communities that have spent decades building a responsible and competitive fishing model.".

OPAGAC: a key player in global fishing

La Organización de Productores Asociados de Grandes Atuneros Congeladores (OPAGAC)Established in 1982, it represents nine companies that own freezer purse seine tuna vessels. Its fleet, comprised of 47 vessels, is a benchmark in the sector, with an annual catch of 400.000 tons, which represents 8% of the world catchIts operations extend across the world's three major oceans: Atlántico, Índico y Pacífico.

The activity of its fleet is regulated by the four main Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) that manage this fishery:

• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (CICAA)
• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (CTOI)
• Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (CIAT)
• Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC)

Environmental and socio-economic sustainability, along with transparency, are the pillars that define the strategy of this key organization for the Spanish fishing industry's foreign trade.

Key points and frequently asked questions about the EU-Mexico Agreement and the tuna sector

How does this agreement affect Spanish importing and canning companies?

The agreement may increase competition by facilitating the entry of tuna from MéxicoIf these products do not have to meet the same cost standards (sustainability, labor), they could reach the market at lower prices, putting pressure on the margins of Spanish companies and jeopardizing the profitability of the national value chain, especially in regions highly dependent on the sector such as Galicia and the País Vasco.

What are the consequences for Spain of not requiring the same standards for imports?

At the business level, it poses a risk of loss of competitiveness for the local fishing fleet and canning industry. From a strategic perspective, it sets a precedent for unfair competition that could extend to other trade agreements. Socially, it threatens the industrial fabric and employment in autonomous communities where the fishing sector is a fundamental economic pillar.

What are considered "equivalent standards" in the fishing sector?

This means that imported products must demonstrate compliance with regulations similar to European ones in three key areas: environmental sustainability (fishing practices that do not deplete resources or damage ecosystems), full traceability (ability to track the product from its capture to the final consumer) and fair working conditions (respect for the rights of workers on board and in processing plants).