Tunisia’s Food Trade Surplus Expands to TND 983.1 Million in First Eight Months of 2026

Tunisia recorded a food trade surplus of 983.1 million Tunisian dinars (TND) during the first eight months of 2026, a significant increase from the 684.1 million TND surplus recorded in the same period of 2025. Consequently, the food import coverage ratio by exports rose to 119.3% by the end of August, up from 115.8% a year earlier.

Dual Growth in Exports and Imports

This improvement comes as both trade flows are expanding. In value terms:

• Food exports increased by 20.7%.
• Food imports rose by 17.1%.

The faster growth rate of exports compared to imports has allowed the food trade balance to remain in surplus.

Olive Oil: The Primary Driver

The main engine behind this positive trend remains olive oil. Exports of the product surged by 39.5% over the first eight months of the year, helping to offset the rise in grain purchases. Grain imports, in particular, increased by 13.2%.

Price Dynamics: Volume Over Value

A closer look at pricing reveals an important nuance. The average export price of Tunisian olive oil stood at 12.51 TND per kilogram, marking a slight 2.5% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. This indicates that the growth in revenue from the olive oil sector is driven by increased export volumes rather than higher average prices.

On the import side, grain price trends have been mixed:

• Durum wheat prices fell by 13.5%.
• Soft wheat prices dropped by 3.3%.
• Corn prices declined by 2.1%.
• Barley was the exception, with prices rising by 3.6%.