Tunisia maintained a trade surplus in the fishery products sector in the first half of 2026, reaching 66.7 million dinars. Exports increased to nearly 14,000 tonnes, worth 329 million dinars, but imports rose faster, both in volume and value.
According to data published by the National Agricultural Observatory (ONAGRI), Tunisian exports of fishery products increased by 2.9% in volume and 1.9% in value compared to the same period in 2025. The rate of coverage of imports by exports was 125%.
Exports are starting again, but modestly
At the end of June 2026, Tunisian exports of fishery products amounted to about 14,000 tons for a value of 329 million dinars.
A year earlier, over the same period, they had reached about 13,600 tons for a value of nearly 323 million dinars.
The progression is therefore real, but remains moderate. It reflects an improvement in export volumes, while the increase in the value of exports remains slightly smaller.
Tunisian fishery products thus continue to generate more export revenues than they cost in imports, allowing the sector to maintain a surplus trade balance.
Italy remains the first market
Tunisian fishery products are exported to several markets, with a high concentration around the Mediterranean basin.
Italy remains by far the main outlet, representing 37% of the value of Tunisian exports of fishery products. It is followed by Spain with 12%, Libya with 11% and Algeria with 10%.
These four destinations alone concentrate 70% of the export value of the sector, confirming the importance of Mediterranean and regional markets for the Tunisian sector.
Imports are growing faster
However, the main element to be retained from the balance sheet of the first half of the year concerns the evolution of imports.
These increased by 7.3% in volume and 4.6% in value, a higher rate than that recorded for exports.
This development qualifies the performance of the trade balance. If the sector retains a surplus of 66.7 million dinars, the momentum of imports therefore deserves special attention.
However, the increase in imports does not only mean an increase in products intended for local consumption.
More than eight out of ten imported products for processing
According to the available data, about 82% of the imported quantities are intended for industrial processing.
Imports therefore play an important role in the supply of processing units and in the value chain of the fisheries sector.
The rest is mainly intended for the supply of the local market and other uses related to the activity of the sector.
Tunisian fishing therefore maintains a positive trade balance, but the gap between the growth of exports and the faster growth of imports is now one of the main indicators to be monitored for the sector.
source : webdo
