Tunisia’s trade deficit rose to 17.853,8 million dinars in the first eight months of 2026, from 14.639 million dinars in the same period of 2025, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics on Saturday. The import coverage ratio fell to 71,4%, from 73,9%.
Imports grow faster than exports
Exports amounted to 44.671,6 million dinars, compared with 41.372,4 million dinars in the same period of 2025, marking growth of 8%. Imports, meanwhile, rose by 11,6% to 62.525,4 million dinars, from 56.011,3 million dinars a year earlier.
Exports of mechanical and electrical industries rose by 8,5%, while exports of agricultural and food industries increased by 20,8%, driven in particular by higher olive oil sales, which reached 3.769,7 million dinars, compared with 2.702,4 million dinars.
The energy sector recorded 44,3% growth in exports, supported by an increase in refined-product exports to 1.115,2 million dinars, from 504,2 million dinars in the same period of 2025. By contrast, exports of phosphates and derivatives fell by 12%, while textile, clothing and leather exports declined by 4,8%.
Import growth covered all product groups, with energy-product imports rising by 28,5%, food imports by 17,1%, capital-goods imports by 6,2%, consumer-goods imports by 8,2%, and imports of raw and semi-finished materials by 7,9%.
European Union accounts for 70,2% of exports
European Union countries accounted for 70,2% of total Tunisian exports in the first eight months of 2026, with a value of 31.346,4 million dinars, compared with 29.165,9 million dinars in the same period of 2025. Exports to France rose by 3,4%, to Italy by 5,2% and to Germany by 2,1%, while exports to Greece and Malta fell by 19,9% and 10,8%, respectively.
Among Arab countries, Tunisian exports to Egypt rose by 76,6% and those to Saudi Arabia by 50,4%, while exports to Morocco fell by 25,1%, to Algeria by 13,1% and to Libya by 1,1%.
The European Union accounted for 45,1% of total Tunisian imports, worth 28.175 million dinars, compared with 24.410,1 million dinars in the first eight months of 2025. Imports from France rose by 17% and those from Italy by 16,7%, while imports from Bulgaria and Portugal declined. Outside the European Union, imports from Turkey, India and China increased, while those from Russia and the United Kingdom fell.
Energy sector accounts for nearly half of deficit
The energy-sector deficit reached 8.930,2 million dinars, compared with 7.148 million dinars in the first eight months of 2025. Excluding the energy sector, the trade balance recorded a deficit of 8.923,7 million dinars.
Raw and semi-finished materials recorded a deficit of 4.544,1 million dinars, capital goods a deficit of 3.125,5 million dinars, and consumer goods a deficit of 2.237,2 million dinars. Food products, by contrast, recorded a surplus of 983,1 million dinars.
