The National Committee responsible for relations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) met Thursday, April 17, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Commerce and Export Development, as part of the preparations for the fourth review of Tunisia trade policies.
This review, set for the period from 25 to 27 November 2025 in Geneva, is a key step in the assessment of the compliance of Tunisian economic policies to the commitments made within the framework of the WTO. It intervenes after those already carried out in 1995, 2005 and 2016, marking a new milestone in the process of international commercial integration of Tunisia.
During this meeting, the members of the committee reviewed the progress of preparatory work, with a particular emphasis on the current structural reforms.
Current structural reforms
These include the simplification of administrative procedures, the acceleration of digitization to improve transparency, the strengthening of intellectual property rights through the development of a national strategy, as well as the measures taken to improve the business climate and attract more foreign investments.
These elements will be integrated into the government report that Tunisia will submit to the WTO on the occasion of this fourth review.
On this occasion, the Minister of Commerce and Development of Exports, Samir Abid, called for a general mobilization of all stakeholders. He insisted on the need to coordinate efforts, unify the positions and meet the deadlines set by the WTO secretariat. He also reaffirmed the importance of this meeting, described as a “strategic moment” to reaffirm Tunisia’s commitment to a dynamic of serious and sustainable economic reforms.
The Minister stressed that Tunisia will transparently respond to the observations of WTO members, while taking care to preserve the national interest in all its decisions.
A long -standing collaboration
Tunisia has been a founding member of the WTO since its creation in 1995, after having been a signatory to the General Agreement on Customs prices and Trade (GATT) since 1990. Its membership in the WTO testifies to its desire to fully integrate the global economy and play an active role in the liberalization of trade.
Since entering the organization, Tunisia has been the subject of three trade policies’ journals in 1995, 2005 and 2016. These journals are carried out periodically to assess the policies implemented by the Member States and encourage transparency in their trade systems.
Over the years, Tunisia has conducted several reforms related to its multilateral commitments, particularly in the fields of foreign trade, intellectual property and investment. The WTO has regularly praised the country’s efforts, while recommending that it be continuing structural reforms to strengthen its competitiveness.
