Tunisia's External Trade Remains Dominated by the European Union
According to the report "Balance of Payments and Global External Position of Tunisia 2023" by the Central Bank of Tunisia, the country's external trade remains largely dominated by exchanges with the European Union, its main trading partner. This zone accounts for 70.3% of total exports and 43.5% of total imports.
The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) countries occupy the second position among Tunisia's clients, absorbing 7.7% of total exports. Meanwhile, non-EU European countries have become Tunisia's second-largest supplier, accounting for 18.3% of imports, relegating non-Arab Asian countries to third place with 16.9% of purchases.
Trade with the European Union generated a surplus of 9,182 million Tunisian dinars (Mtnd), an increase of 7,803 Mtnd compared to 2022. This performance is the result of a 12.3% increase in exports and an 8.1% decrease in imports. Notably, 81% of bilateral exchanges with this zone involve four countries: France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Approximately 71% of exports to the EU come from manufacturing industries, mainly operated by companies under the transformation regime. It is worth noting that agricultural and agri-food products, dominated by olive oil, account for only 9% of exports to the EU.
On the other hand, trade with the UMA recorded a widened trade deficit of 180 Mtnd, reaching 1,673 Mtnd. This deficit is mainly due to the deepening of trade with Algeria, where imports increased by 13.8%, particularly for natural gas (+8.4%) and sugar (+241%). However, the trade surplus with Libya improved by 414 Mtnd to reach 2,313 Mtnd, thanks to a 7.6% increase in exports, particularly of cast iron, steel, and electrical machinery (+54.6% and +33.3%, respectively), as well as a 40.5% decrease in imports.
Regarding Sub-Saharan African countries, trade generated a surplus that contracted by 17 Mtnd or 1.5% compared to 2022, returning to 1,107 Mtnd. Exports slightly decreased by 0.3%, while imports increased by 3.3%. These exchanges remain marginal, representing 2.4% of total exports and 0.5% of total imports. The surplus with Côte d'Ivoire, the main partner in this region, contracted from 206 Mtnd to 126 Mtnd in 2023.
