Tunisia’s foreign trade expanded during the first three months of 2026, driven by higher exports and imports, yet the country’s trade deficit continued to widen, according to official data released this week.
Exports reached 16,266.8 million dinars (approximately $5.2 billion), marking a 6.1% increase from 15,325.1 million dinars recorded in the same period last year. Imports rose 5.5% to 21,499.5 million dinars (about $6.9 billion), up from 20,374.6 million dinars in 2025.
The resulting trade deficit stood at 5,232.7 million dinars ($1.67 billion), compared with 5,049.5 million dinars a year earlier. However, the coverage rate – the ratio of exports to imports – improved slightly to 75.7% from 75.2%.
Sectoral Winners and Losers
On the export front, mechanical and electrical industries posted a 10.6% gain, while agri-food industries surged 16.1%, buoyed by a sharp rise in olive oil sales. Olive oil exports jumped from 1,442.3 million dinars ($462 million) to 1,991.6 million dinars ($637 million). The energy sector also saw a 6.2% increase, driven by refined petroleum products, which skyrocketed from 78.2 million dinars ($25 million) to 247.5 million dinars ($79 million).
Not all sectors shared in the growth. Mining and phosphate exports plunged 20.3%, and the textile sector contracted by 5%.
On the import side, all major categories registered increases: food products (+13.9%), capital goods (+5.3%), energy (+4.2%), consumer goods (+4.9%), and raw materials (+4.5%).
Shifting Trade Partners
The European Union remained Tunisia’s primary export market, absorbing 71.5% of total shipments. Exports to the EU reached 11,628.1 million dinars ($3.72 billion), with notable increases to France (+10.6%), Italy (+4%), and Germany (+3.3%). Conversely, sales to the Netherlands fell 15.9% and to Greece dropped 29.8%.
In the Arab world, exports to Egypt soared 52.9% and to Saudi Arabia jumped 80.6%, while shipments to Morocco plunged 39.5%, and exports to both Algeria and Libya declined 22.2%.
Imports from the EU, accounting for 45.2% of the total, rose to 9,722.5 million dinars ($3.11 billion). Purchases from France increased 21.9% and from Italy 13.8%, while imports from Spain and Greece fell 4.1% and 21.2%, respectively. Outside the EU, Tunisian imports grew from Turkey (+6.3%) and India (+39.5%), but dropped sharply from Russia (-61.6%) and China (-7.3%).
Energy Remains Main Deficit Driver
The overall trade deficit was largely fueled by the energy sector, which posted a shortfall of 2,990.4 million dinars ($957 million). Raw materials followed with a deficit of 1,601.4 million dinars ($512 million), capital goods contributed 977 million dinars ($313 million), and consumer goods added 462.2 million dinars ($148 million). In contrast, the food sector recorded a surplus of 798.3 million dinars ($256 million).
Excluding energy, Tunisia’s trade deficit narrows significantly to 2,242.3 million dinars ($718 million), underscoring the heavy toll of energy imports on the country’s trade balance.
TunisianMonitorNews
