Tunisia reports 17.8 billion dinar trade deficit through August 2026

Tunisia recorded a trade deficit of 17,853.8 million dinars during the first eight months of 2026, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. This represents an increase from the 14,639 million dinar deficit recorded during the same period in 2025.

Exports rose by 8% to reach 44,671.6 million dinars, driven by growth in mechanical and electrical industries (+8.5%) and agri-food industries (+20.8%). A significant contributor to this growth was olive oil exports, which increased from 2,702.4 million dinars to 3,769.7 million dinars. The energy sector also saw a 44.3% increase in exports, largely due to higher sales of refined products.

Conversely, imports grew by 11.6% to 62,525.4 million dinars. Key drivers for increased imports included energy products (+28.5%) and food products (+17.1%). The European Union remains the primary destination for Tunisian exports, accounting for 70.2% of the total value.