Spanish table olive sector bypasses US tariffs
The Andalusian cooperative Dcoop has led a disruptive operation within the table olive sector. Confirmed the tariffs on the Spanish black olives by the US Government, Dcoop has taken a 20% stake in the California firm Bell-Carter.
With this move, Dcoop, whose black table olives have the US as their main destination, has become “Americanized” to gain weight in the country with the highest growth of olives and olive oil consumption.
Bell-Carter was one of the companies that, last year, started the complaint process which has ended with the imposition of tariffs on this produce imported from Spain.
The acquisition of 20% of Bell-Carter shares has been made through Pompeian, the American subsidiary of Dcoop, current leader in extra virgin olive oil sales in the US. Dcoop’s goal is to replicate that model in the field of table olives. After the operation, the Málaga-based cooperative will be the olive supplier for Bell-Carter. If the olive is packaged in the US, Dcoop will not suffer the burdensome tariffs imposed on the Spanish sector in the coming years.
Source: ABC