Tunisian Imports Recompose Amidst Rise from France and Decline from China

Tunisia's imports reached 38.585 billion Tunisian dinars (MD) in the first five months of 2026, marking a 9.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025. This rise reflects a generalized growth across various product categories, with energy products seeing a significant surge of 35.1% due to increased supply needs. Food products also contributed to the increase, rising by 20.1%, indicating heightened pressure on the import of essential consumer goods.

Investment in productive capacity appears to be continuing, as capital goods imports grew by 4.1%, while consumer goods imports increased by 5.9%. Raw materials and semi-finished products saw a more modest rise of 1.5%. Geographically, the European Union continues to be Tunisia's main trading partner, accounting for 44.2% of imports, totaling 17.045 billion dinars. Imports from France and Italy saw notable increases of 17.3% and 10.7%, respectively.

However, the import landscape shows shifts outside the EU. While imports from Turkey and India grew by 6.2% and 23.6%, respectively, purchases from Russia and China declined by 40.1% and 1.9%. This evolving trade pattern underscores Tunisia's ongoing reliance on imported energy and food. The overall expansion in trade, coupled with these import trends, has led to a widening of the country's external deficit.