Tunisia Seeks to Measure the Results of its Integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Source: Ministry of Trade
The Tunisian government aims to assess the outcomes of its integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area in the world. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Trade presented an evaluation study designed to identify the progress made, the persistent obstacles, and the sectors best positioned to benefit from the African market.
Presiding over a workshop dedicated to this study, Minister Samir Abid indicated that this approach is part of the national strategy to strengthen economic partnerships with African countries. The objective is to adapt public policies to the needs of businesses and improve their access to continental markets.
Background and Opportunities
The study comes as several analyses highlight Tunisia's potential within the AfCFTA framework. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the main opportunities concern:
- Agro-food industry
- Automotive components
- Electrical and electronic industries
- Textile and clothing industry
- Pharmaceutical products
- Digital services
The organization estimates that a complete implementation of the AfCFTA could increase Tunisian exports to the rest of Africa by 91% by 2035.
Challenges to Overcome
To realize this potential, several challenges remain to be addressed, including:
- Reducing logistical costs
- Improving export financing
- Facilitating intra-African payments
- Strengthening the presence of Tunisian companies in under-exploited markets
Objective of the Evaluation
With this assessment, the Ministry seeks to identify the necessary adjustments to transform the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA into concrete commercial gains for Tunisian businesses.
