Tunisia is making great strides to improve access for its olive oil to international markets. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti, recently announced that negotiations are at an advanced stage with several strategic partners, notably the United States, in order to reduce customs barriers weighing on Tunisian exports.
Advanced discussions with Washington
According to the minister, in-depth talks are underway with the American authorities to review the customs duties applied to Tunisian exports. The objective is clear: to strengthen the competitiveness of Tunisian olive oil on the American market, dominated by large international producers, and to allow national exporters to better position themselves in the face of intense competition.
In the same dynamic, Tunis reached an advanced level of discussions with Indonesia, paving the way for a better establishment of Tunisian olive oil in Southeast Asia. At the same time, the Tunisian authorities are continuing their approaches to other key markets in the region, notably China, Japan, South Korea and India, in a strategy aimed at diversifying outlets and reducing dependence on a limited number of trading partners.
Latin America, a new strategic axis
The minister also underlined the growing interest in Latin America, despite already well-established competition. As such, Tunisia is in the process of finalizing the final technical adjustments with Brazil. The total exemption from customs duties on Tunisian olive oil should come into force from March 2026, a measure presented as a strategic turning point for the sector.
This measure is presented as a strategic turning point for the sector, as it would allow Tunisian exporters to access one of the largest markets in Latin America under significantly more favorable pricing conditions. Brazil, with its population and the evolution of its consumption habits, is seen as a potential growth driver for agri-food products with high added value.
Beyond the Brazilian case, the Tunisian authorities intend to extend this dynamic to other countries in the region, in order to consolidate the presence of Tunisian olive oil in markets that are still little exploited but strategic in the medium term.
