Tunisia’s export economy remains heavily concentrated in its northern and coastal regions, with Districts 1, 2, and 3 accounting for nearly 90% of national export value, according to new indicators from the Export Promotion Center (CEPEX).
The data, presented during the annual meeting of heads of Tunisian commercial representations abroad, reveals that exports from these three districts reached 47.9 billion dinars by the end of November 2025, representing 89.9% of the national total and marking a 3.9% year-on-year increase.
Industrial Dominance and Tech Growth
The export profile of these leading districts is overwhelmingly industrial, with 93.2% of shipments coming from manufactured goods. A significant subset—11.2%—is classified as high-technology industrial products, signaling a growing shift toward more advanced manufacturing.
The number of active exporting companies in these districts rose to 4,672, a net increase of 54 firms compared to the same period in 2024.
Olive Oil: Volume Up, Revenue Down
A mixed picture emerged for the key olive oil sector. While export volume from these districts surged by 49.2% to 18.2 thousand tonnes since the start of the season, revenue actually declined by 2.7%, likely reflecting fluctuations in global commodity prices.
Lower-Contributing Districts Show Different Trends
In contrast, exports from Districts 4 and 5 (comprising the remaining governorates) accounted for 10.1% of the national total, with revenues of 5.37 billion dinars—a 1.7% decrease from the previous year.
These districts have 897 exporting firms, 570 of which target markets covered by Tunisia’s network of commercial offices abroad. Their exports are also primarily industrial (81.7%), but with a much smaller share of high-tech products (2.9%).
Notably, their olive oil exports saw explosive growth: volumes skyrocketed by 217.9% to 24.8 thousand tonnes, generating 317.5 million dinars in revenue, an 83.2% increase.
National Context and Untapped Potential
CEPEX organized the regional meetings to connect Tunisian exporters with directors of its overseas offices. The agency emphasized that while national exports have returned to growth—up 1.5% to 57.9 billion dinars—significant potential remains untapped.
Official estimates place Tunisia’s total export capacity at nearly $23 billion, suggesting an unrealized potential of approximately $11.25 billion.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
