Tunisia’s food trade balance recorded a significant surplus of TND 919.8 million during the first nine months of 2026, up sharply from TND 621.3 million in the same period last year, according to data released by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI).
The improved food trade performance reflects stronger growth in food exports relative to imports, driven primarily by a substantial increase in olive oil shipments. Food exports rose 19.9% year-on-year in value terms, while food imports registered a more moderate increase of 16.3%, helping to strengthen the country’s overall food trade position.
Import Coverage Ratio Rises to 116.3%
As a result of the stronger export performance, Tunisia’s food import coverage ratio—which measures the extent to which export revenues finance food imports—rose to 116.3% at the end of September 2026, compared with 112.8% a year earlier.
Olive Oil Exports Drive Trade Surplus
The expansion of olive oil exports was the main contributor to the improved food trade balance, with shipments of the commodity increasing by 37.4% compared with the first nine months of 2025. This reinforces olive oil’s importance as a major source of agricultural export revenue for Tunisia, despite a slight annual decline of 2.6% in the average export price, which settled at TND 12.54 per kilogram.
Cereal Imports Continue to Pressure Food Import Bill
Meanwhile, cereal imports continued to exert pressure on the food import bill, increasing by 19.5% in value over the reporting period. However, declining international prices for several major cereal products helped moderate some of the additional import costs.
Mixed Price Movements Across Agricultural Exports
ONAGRI’s figures indicate varying price movements among Tunisia’s main agricultural and food export products during the first nine months of 2026. Olive oil export prices decreased by 2.6% year-on-year, while prices for fishery products fell by 10.3%. Citrus fruits recorded a more pronounced decline of 12%.
In contrast, certain agricultural products experienced modest price increases. Export prices for tomatoes rose by 8.4%, while those for dates edged up by 0.7%. These contrasting developments highlight the differences in price performance across Tunisia’s agricultural export portfolio.
International Commodity Prices Show Mixed Trends
On the import side, international price movements were mixed across major food commodities. The average price of durum wheat decreased by 13.5%, representing the largest reduction among the main imported cereals. Soft wheat prices fell by 1.1%, while maize prices registered a marginal decrease of 0.3%. Barley followed a different trend, with its import price increasing by 3.5%.
Beyond cereals, Tunisia also faced higher import prices for several other food products. Sugar prices increased by 9.4%, while vegetable oil prices rose by 4.7%, potentially adding to the country’s food import expenditure. Conversely, the average import price of milk and dairy products declined by 6.9%, providing some relief to the overall import bill.
Outlook: Export Competitiveness Key to Sustaining Positive Trend
Overall, Tunisia’s food trade performance during the first nine months of 2026 reflects a stronger export contribution, particularly from olive oil, alongside continued growth in food imports. The latest figures underline the importance of Tunisia’s agricultural export sector in supporting foreign trade revenues and strengthening the country’s capacity to finance food imports.
Sustaining export competitiveness while managing exposure to international commodity price fluctuations will remain essential to maintaining this positive trend, particularly as rising cereal import values and higher costs for sugar and vegetable oils continue to present challenges for the country’s food trade balance.
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