Tunisia Strengthens Trade Links under AfCFTA
Tunisia marks early success in continental trade. Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), 42 Tunisian companies have completed 370 export transactions to date, benefiting from lower trade costs and improved access to markets across Africa. As one of eight pilot countries participating in the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative, Tunisia has enabled its exporters to move goods more efficiently using special trade certificates.
The Tunisian Ministry of Trade and Export Development and the Export Promotion Centre, working closely with the Tunisia component of the AU-German programme Support to the African Continental Free Trade Area, organised Tunisia’s first Exporters’ Day under the AfCFTA on 27 October 2025. Held under the high patronage of the Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Abid, the event brought together public authorities, chambers of commerce and industry, trade organisations, Tunisian customs, AfCFTA experts, and companies that had already begun exporting under the agreement.
During the event, participants shared Tunisia’s early export experiences and discussed how export certificates and trade rules work in practice, while strengthening dialogue between the public and private sectors to identify challenges and practical ways to make cross-border trade easier. These discussions were grounded in real business experiences. As Mohamed Rouahi, Director of Regulatory Affairs and R&D Team Leader at Opalia Recordati Laboratories, a leading Tunisian healthcare company exporting under the AfCFTA, explained, “thanks to the AfCFTA agreement, we have been able to ship directly to sub-Saharan Africa, taking full advantage of customs tariff reductions. This has enabled us to build customer loyalty and explore the African market.”
Throughout Tunisia’s participation in the AfCFTA, the AU-German support programme has played an important role by providing hands-on guidance, reviewing export processes, and working closely with national partners. This support has helped Tunisia take a more practical and experience-based approach to expanding its trade within Africa.
Tunisia’s first Exporters’ Day represents more than a single event. It marks an important step towards building a more competitive and better-connected African market. Two years after joining the Guided Trade Initiative, Tunisia is showing how focused support, strong cooperation between institutions, and shared learning can turn the goal of continental trade integration into real and visible results.
“Thanks to the AfCFTA agreement, we have been able to ship directly to sub-Saharan Africa, taking full advantage of customs tariff reductions. This has enabled us to build customer loyalty and explore the African market.”