How effective is trade defense for national industries?
At a workshop on 'Trade Defense Instruments' held Monday, April 21, at UTICA, Minister of Trade and Export Development Samir Abid emphasized the importance of equipping national industries with mechanisms to protect against unfair trade practices.
The event marked the start of a nationwide campaign, with similar workshops scheduled for Bizerte (May 16, 2025), Gabes and Sfax (June 2025).
Minister Abid stated that trade defense tools—permitted under World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements—allow member states to shield domestic industries from harmful import competition without violating international obligations.
He pointed out that trade defense is in charge of investigating, researching and verifying all information obtained from importers, traders, producers, foreign exporters, associations and interested organizations, in accordance with law n° 98-106 of December 18, 1998 relating to import safeguard measures.
Anti-dumping tool and unfair competition
In accordance with Law No. 99-9 of 13 February 1999 on the defense against unfair import practices, this body also carries out investigations to determine the existence of alleged dumping or subsidization and to forecast its extent and impact.
The tasks of the trade defense body, its composition and operating procedures are laid down by decree.
On another subject, the Minister pointed out that 'Tunisia's experience in the field of trade defense is limited to the opening of a few investigations in the field of preventive measures, which led to the adoption of a single preventive measure in 2023, while no investigation has been opened in the field of anti-dumping or subsidies'.
He added: 'The company benefiting from this measure was able to achieve an improvement in its results in 2024, and this will be specified in more detail at a later stage.
According to Abid, there are several reasons for this limited experience, the most important of which are:
– Tunisia's limited investigative authority in its current form, which is not in tune with the specific nature of work in the field of trade defense investigations.
– The limited human and logistical resources allocated to the investigating body (5 executives in Tunisia versus 370 in Egypt / 34 in Morocco / 28 in Jordan / over 100 in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries).
– Economic operators' unfamiliarity with this mechanism (…).
For her part, Dorra Borgi, Director General of Foreign Trade, pointed out that Tunisia was the first Arab country to join the trade defense body.
She pointed out that the mission of this new body is to investigate, research and verify all information obtained from importers, traders, producers, foreign exporters, associations and interested organizations.
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