External trade: one deficit chases another… and makes it worse
The National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Friday published figures for Tunisia's trade at current prices in the first quarter of 2025, showing that exports during this period amounted to TND 15,325.1 million and imports to TND 20,375.5 million.
Given this trend in exports (-5.9%) and imports (+5.5%), the trade deficit in the first quarter was (TND -5050.5 million) compared with (TND -3,027.4 million). The coverage reached the level of (75.2%) against (84.3%) in the same period of 2024.
By sector of activity, exports fell in the energy sector (-34%) due to the fall in sales of refined products (TND 78.2 miliion against TND 499.3 million), in the agri-food sector (-18%) due to the fall in sales of olive oil (TND 1,442.3 million against TND 1,879.8 million), as well as for the mechanical and electrical industries with a rate of (-2.4%), the textile, clothing and leather industries with a rate of (-2.6%) and the mining, phosphate and derivative industries with a rate of (-8.6%).
By product group, imports of capital goods rose by 18.3%, while imports of raw materials and semi-finished goods increased by 5.1%, pointing to future improvements in investment and production capacity.
Consumer goods were not far behind, rising by 13.9%. Conversely, imports of energy products fell by 9.6% and food by 2.1%.
Geographical breakdown
Tunisian exports to the European Union in the first quarter of 2025 (70.1% of total exports) reached the value of TND 10,736.9 against TND 11,620.5 in the first quarter of 2024.
Exports increased with Germany (+7.8%) and the Netherlands (+13.4%). On the other hand, they fell with France (-5.7%), Italy (-11.3%) and Spain (-35.3%).
Exports to the Arab countries increased with Libya (+39.6%), Morocco (+38.6%), Algeria (+15.3%) and Egypt (+155.7%).
Imports from the European Union (42.9% of total imports) rose to TND 8,744.3 compared with TND 8,545.4 in the Q1 2005. Imports rose in France (+8.1%), Italy (+0.8%) and Germany (+3.6%). Conversely, they fell in Greece (-10.2%) and Belgium (-12.1%).
Outside the EU, imports rose with China (+60.9%) and Turkey (+13.7%). They fell with Russia (-2.9%) and India (-2%).
The deficit mainly due to energy The trade balance showed a deficit of TND 5,050.5 million.
According to the INS, this deficit was mainly due to energy (TND -2,881.7), raw materials and semi-finished goods (TND -1,616.2 million), capital goods (TND -927.9 million) and consumer goods (TND -239.5 million). On the other hand, the food group recorded a surplus (TND +614.8 million).
Finally, it should be noted that the trade balance deficit excluding energy narrowed to (TND -2,168.8 million), while the energy balance deficit stood at (TND -2,881.7 million), compared with (TND -2,943.3 million) in the first quarter of 2024.
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