Achievement / Industry · Safi
How Safi became a sardine capital
Morocco led the world in the value of prepared and preserved sardine exports in 2025. How did a coastal industry reach so far?
The full picture
Beyond the number
Morocco led the world in the value of prepared and preserved sardine exports in 2025. How did a coastal industry reach so far?
Sardine canning was developed in France around the 1820s. Canneries later became a major part of Safi’s economy.
World Bank WITS data places Morocco first by export value in the relevant preserved sardine trade category in 2025. China exported a larger quantity.
Then / Now
How the story unfolded
Sardine canning developed on the French Atlantic coast.
A photograph records workers inside a Safi sardine cannery.
Morocco ranked first by export value in the wider preserved sardine trade category.
Across regions
Where Morocco stands
2025 export value · prepared or preserved sardines and related fish · US$
Nine countries reported by WITS
- 1stMorocco$671m
- 2ndChina$451m
- 3rdThailand$148m
- 4thPortugal$119m
- 5thIndonesia$108m
- 6thLatvia$72.1m
- 7thPoland$65.3m
- 8thEcuador$49.5m
- 9thSpain$40.3m
The WITS 2025 results list nine individual country exporters; the EU aggregate is excluded to avoid counting its members twice. HS 160413 includes sardines and related fish. The ranking is by export value, not weight.
Verify it
Sources & further reading
Image credits
- Safi canned sardines made by MIDAV: Mehdi D · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fishing and commercial port of Safi: Mounir Neddi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
