Tunisia’s olive oil exports have reached unprecedented heights, with shipments surging 55.3% to a record 368,000 metric tons during the first nine months of the 2025/26 season, according to official data released Friday.
The remarkable performance generated $1.6 billion in export revenue, marking a 44.4% increase compared to the same period last year—welcome news for a country grappling with persistent economic headwinds.
Olive oil represents Tunisia’s most valuable agricultural export and serves as a critical source of foreign currency. The export boom provides much-needed financial relief as the government continues to navigate fiscal pressures and economic challenges.
The surge in shipments, which began in November, has been fueled by robust international demand, with extra virgin olive oil dominating the export mix at 83.6% of total shipments, according to data from the National Observatory of Agriculture.
European Union remains dominant market
The European Union maintained its position as Tunisia’s primary olive oil market, absorbing 57.1% of total exports, while North America accounted for 24% of shipments. Overall, more than 70 countries imported Tunisian olive oil during the nine-month period.
Other significant markets included Saudi Arabia with a 4.6% share, Jordan at 3.1%, and African markets collectively representing 3.8%, with Egypt accounting for 3.3% of total exports.
Value-added challenge persists
While bottled olive oil exports showed promising growth, rising 50.8% to reach 51,500 tons, bulk oil shipments continued to represent the vast majority of exports—highlighting Tunisia’s ongoing challenge to capture greater value from its signature agricultural product.
The disparity underscores Tunisia’s need to develop its processing and packaging capabilities to move up the value chain and maximize returns from one of its most important export commodities.
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