Tunisia’s olive oil exports saw a dramatic increase in volume but a sharp fall in value during the core of the 2024/2025 season, highlighting a volatile global market. Preliminary data for the first eleven months of the season, from November 2024 through September 2025, reveals a complex picture for one of the world’s leading producers.
Export volumes reached a substantial 268,600 tons, marking a significant 41.3% increase compared to the 190,100 tons shipped in the same period last season. Despite this boom in quantity, total export revenues fell to 3.6 billion Tunisian dinars (approximately €1 billion), a 28.4% decrease from the 5 billion dinars (€1.4 billion) earned a year earlier.
The decline in earnings is directly linked to a steep drop in global prices. The average export price per kilogram in September 2025 plummeted by 46.2% year-on-year. Prices fell from an average of €5.22 per kg in September 2024 to €2.71 per kg this year, varying by category.
Bulk Exports Dominate, Packaged Share Grows Slightly
The structure of exports continues to favor bulk shipments, though there are slight shifts. The vast majority, 84.9%, was exported in bulk, while only 15.1% was shipped as packaged, branded oil. This represents a minor increase from the 13.9% share held by packaged oil in the previous season. Notably, extra virgin olive oil accounted for 77.7% of the total export volume.
However, packaged oil generates a disproportionate share of revenue. While constituting just 15.1% of volume, it contributed 21.4% of the total export value, underscoring the higher premium attainable with branded products.
European Market Remains Key; Spain Edges Out Italy
The European Union remains the dominant destination, absorbing 58% of Tunisia’s olive oil exports. North America is the second-largest market with a 26.3% share, followed by Africa at 9.4%.
A close race defines the top importers. Spain narrowly leads, importing 26.7% of Tunisia’s total olive oil exports by volume. Italy follows closely at 26.4%, having imported over 70,000 tons. The United States holds a significant 19.3% share.
Organic Exports: Italy is the Primary Destination
The organic segment also showed strong volume, reaching 50,900 tons valued at around 714 million Tunisian dinars (over €200 million). Yet, the value-added challenge persists here as well; only 6.3% of organic oil was exported in packaged form. The average price for organic olive oil was notably higher at 4.02 euros per kg.
Italy solidified its position as the top buyer of Tunisian organic olive oil, taking 51.1% of the volume. Spain (20.8%) and the United States (17%) were the other major importers.
The data paints a portrait of a sector capitalizing on high production and demand but facing severe price pressure, with the long-term strategic shift toward more lucrative packaged exports continuing at a slow pace.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
