Tunisia faces economic shifts amid trade deficits and central bank policy evolution

The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) is facing evolving economic challenges due to overlapping external shocks, including energy and food crises, geopolitical risks, and climate change. At the OCI–Comcec Central Bank Forum in Istanbul, BCT Governor Fethi Zouhaier Nouri advocated for a new generation of central bank governors who possess a broad macroeconomic perspective covering monetary, fiscal, energy, and financial sectors. Nouri argued that such expertise is necessary to maintain price stability while managing debt and external financing conditions.

Simultaneously, Tunisia is navigating significant trade imbalances. Data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that during the first eight months of 2026, Tunisian exports grew by 8%, while imports rose by 11.6%, resulting in a trade deficit of 17,853.8 million dinars. As the country seeks to strengthen its economic presence in Africa, experts highlight the need for improved financial and organizational engineering to convert market ambitions into actual commercial flows and investments.