Latest news with #MouradBenHassine
African Manager
06-08-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia's exports to India are booming!
India can become an important economic partner for Tunisia, especially during this delicate phase the country is going through. India is a country that has managed to achieve rapid and remarkable economic development, particularly in the fields of industry, finance, and high technology. (…) Its development model is based on the value and quality of its human resources, scientific research, hard work, and perseverance. In light of these economic performances, the Export Promotion Center (CEPEX) revealed that untapped export opportunities to the Indian market amount to approximately 214 million US dollars, although trade between Tunisia and India reached around 800 million dollars, or about 2.4 billion dinars last year. These opportunities, according to a recent meeting between CEPEX CEO Mourad Ben Hassine and the Ambassador of India to Tunisia, Shri Ngulkham Jathom, require strengthening the partnership in high value-added sectors. The fields of cooperation between the two countries include the chemical and fertilizer industries, given the presence of phosphoric acid in Skhira, as well as the pharmaceutical industries, renewable energies, electrical and electronic industries, and agricultural products. Tunisian exports to India have improved significantly, with olive oil exports growing by 250% and dates by 56%, reflecting the growing momentum of Tunisian products on the Indian market, according to CEPEX. As for Tunisia's imports from India, they notably include cars and spare parts, valued at 356 million dinars (representing 18% of total imports). Pharmaceutical imports, in turn, have increased significantly, with a rise of 637%, in addition to imports of tea, frozen fish, agricultural tractors, textiles, and petrochemical products, reflecting the diversity and growing openness of the Tunisian market to Indian supply. India, Tunisia's 9th trade partner According to 2024 figures, India is Tunisia's 9th trading partner in terms of import volume and the 16th in terms of exports. According to CEPEX, there are promising prospects to further develop trade and broaden areas of partnership in several vital and strategic sectors. The Indian Ambassador to Tunisia reaffirmed her country's commitment to continuing the strengthening of economic cooperation with Tunisia. She emphasized the importance of activating cooperation between CEPEX and its Indian counterpart, by intensifying the exchange of visits and economic missions, and organizing bilateral business forums to strengthen sectoral partnerships. During the meeting held at the Exporter's House, both parties discussed the importance of activating previous agreements, particularly the memorandum of understanding signed between CEPEX and its Indian counterpart in 2017, which constitutes a legal framework for institutional cooperation. The two sides also discussed a proposal to organize a remote forum in the presence of relevant bodies to further discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation in promising sectors, as part of current preparations to hold meetings of the Joint Commission aimed at overcoming customs and tax-related obstacles. It is worth noting that Tunisia imports various products from India, such as tea, mechanical products, pharmaceutical products, rice, tobacco, textile products, and cotton yarn, while phosphoric acid remains the main Tunisian product exported to India.
African Manager
10-06-2025
- Business
- African Manager
'ABPD 2025' poised to redefine Tunisia-Africa economic ties
The 1st edition of the Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) already billed as a 'major event for developing partnerships between Tunisia and sub-Saharan African countries,' will bring together twelve sub-Saharan African countries in Tunis from June 23 to 25. Mourad Ben Hassine, the CEO of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX), said that ten African countries will be represented by companies, while the remaining two will attend through export support structures or chambers of commerce and industry. The participating countries are Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Senegal, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. 'So far, 33 African companies from these countries have confirmed their attendance at this event, exceeding the target of 30 companies.' More than fifty Tunisian companies are expected to participate in the event, Ben Hassine added in a statement to TAP, pointing out that CEPEX is targeting the participation of 100 Tunisian companies. Operating in sectors such as agri-food, construction and public works, health, ICT, start-ups and services, these companies will hold professional networking meetings via a digital platform set up for this purpose. Nearly 1,000 business meetings are scheduled to take place over the first two days of the three-day event (23–25 June 2025), following the official opening chaired by the Minister of Trade and Export Development. Technical workshops are also planned, the themes of which will be determined according to requests from export support structures and chambers of commerce and industry in the participating countries. 'We also intend to sign bilateral agreements or memorandums of understanding on cooperation and information exchange with the bodies responsible for investment and export development, as well as with CEPEX's counterparts in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.' Digital exchange platforms In this respect, Ben Hassine indicated that CEPEX is working on a project to set up digital information exchange platforms, which will provide access to information on products intended for export. These platforms will facilitate instantaneous product exchange operations. He said that the aim is to respond to calls for tenders from African countries via these platforms. He also emphasized the possibility of forging investment partnerships in processing industries between Tunisia and other African countries. 'We came up with this project because we noticed that Tunisian companies operating in certain sectors were importing products from other continents when these products are already available on the African market. Moreover, importing under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement reduces costs for Tunisian companies. This event, which follows the success of the three editions of the 'Tunisia Africa Business Meetings' (2020–2022 and 2024), is specific in that it targets African countries where CEPEX has no commercial representation, such as Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, and Burkina Faso. The primacy of investment The 1st Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) are being organized by the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) under the presidency of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad. The event is supported by the 'Arab Africa Trade Bridges' program,' which is financed by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and the 'Qawafel' program, which is financed by the French Development Agency. The event forms part of CEPEX's ongoing efforts to target the sub-Saharan African market and develop trade with sub-Saharan African countries. The focus is on Tunisia-Africa partnership and investment cooperation rather than exports, particularly given the solid economic growth indicators on the African continent. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group's flagship report, 'African Economic Outlook 2025' (AEO 2025), Africa's economic growth is expected to rise from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.9% in 2025, reaching 4% next year, despite rising geopolitical uncertainties and trade tensions.
