Business in Tunisia, Tunis

The objectives of the subject “Foreign Trade and Business in the Republic of Tunisia” are the following:

1. To analyse the Tunisian Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the Republic of Tunisia
3. To explore the Tunisian trade relations with the country of the student
4. To know the Tunisian Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
5. To examine the profile of Tunisian Companies
6. To develop a business plan for the Tunisian Market

Tunisian Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements

1. Tunisia and the Maghrebian Economic Area
2. Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
3. Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
4. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
5. COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Trade Agreement
6. Arab Mediterranean Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
   1. Egypt-Jordan-Morocco-Tunisia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) / Agadir Agreement
7. African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA)
8. Islamic Trade Preferential System (TPS-OIC)
9. Tunisia-European Union
   1. Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED)
   2. European Union-Tunisia Association Agreement
   3. Africa-European Union Strategic Partnership
   4. European Neighbourhood Policy - Union for the Mediterranean
10. Turkey-Tunisia Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
11. Tunisia has Trade Agreements with Egypt, Morocco, European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Jordan, and Libya
12. Greater Arab Free-Trade Area (GAFTA)
13. Global System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP)
14. Protocol Relating to Trade Negotiations Among Developing Countries (PTN)
15. Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (observer country)

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   2. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)
4. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
5. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, Chicago Convention)
6. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
7. Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Hamburg Rules, UN)
8. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN)
9. Uniform Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM, CIT)
10. International Road Transport Union (IRU)
    1. TIR Convention
    2. Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport

Islamic Organisations

1. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
2. Arab League (LAS)
3. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
   1. Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)
   2. Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
   3. Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT)
   4. Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC)
4. Asia - Middle East Dialogue (AMED)
5. Summit of South America-Arab Countries (ASPA)
6. Afro-Arab Cooperation
7. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)

African Trade and Economic Organisations

1. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
2. African Union (AU)
   1. African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (not signed)
   2. African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
3. African Development Bank (AfDB)
4. Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP)
5. Africa-Korea Partnership
6. Africa-Japan Cooperation (TICAD)
7. Africa-South America Summit (ASA)
8. Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
9. Africa-India Framework for Cooperation
10. Africa-BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)
11. Africa-Turkey Partnership

Global Economic Organisations

1. World Bank (WB)
2. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
3. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
4. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The Republic of Tunisia

Tunisia is strategically located at the crossroads of the MENA region (North Africa and the Middle East) and the European Union (EU).

1. Tunisian Capital: Tunis
2. The largest Tunisian cities are Tunisia, Sfax, Sousse, Kairouan, Bizerte and Gabes
3. Area of Tunisia: 163,610 square kilometres
4. Tunisian Population: 11 million people
5. Frontiers of Tunisia: Algeria and Libya
6. Main languages: Arabic, French, and Berber
7. Type of Government of Tunisia: Unitary Unicameral Parliamentary Republic
8. Tunisian Currency: Tunisian Dinar (TND)
9. Tunisian independence: March 1956 (from France)
10. Abolition of Slavery in Tunisia: 1836

More information about Tunisia (EENI African Portal).

Religion in Tunisia:

1. 98% of the Tunisian population follows Islam Sunni
2. Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence): Maliki school
3. Islam is the official state religion in Tunisia

Tunisia belongs to the Maghrebian Economic Area (Islamic Civilisation and the African Civilisation).

Tunisian Economy

1. GDP of Tunisia: 47.13 billion dollars
   1. Agriculture: 11%
   2. Industry: 35.3%
   3. Services: 53.7%
2. GDP per capita: 4.329 dollars
3. Tunisian GDP growth: 2.81%
4. Public debt: 44.32% of the GDP
5. Tunisian Inflation: 6.04%

Tunis is the first economic and industrial centre of Tunisia (1/3 of the Tunisian companies and 1/3 of the Tunisian GDP).

1. Top Tunisian export partners: The European Union (France, Italy, Germany), Libya, and the United States
2. Top Tunisian import partners: The European Union (France, Italy, Germany, Spain), China, and Algeria

The Republic of Tunisia is the:

1. First tourist destination in the Southern Mediterranean
2. First world dates exporter
3. Second-largest phosphoric acid and super-phosphate exporter
4. Second-largest olive oil exporter after the European Union
5. Fifth clothing products supplier to the countries of the European Union
6. Fifth phosphate producer in the World
7. Tenth EU wiring harnesses supplier

International Trade Tunisia-European Union.

1. Exports of the Republic of Tunisia to the European Union's market have grown significantly
2. 80% of the Tunisian exports to the European Union are industrial products
3. The Republic of Tunisia is the fourth clothing exporter to the European Union
4. Tunisia is an advantaged trading partner of the European Union
5. In 1996, the Republic of Tunisia was the first nation on the south of the Mediterranean Sea to have a free trade zone with the European Union markets