Tunisian exports to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa rose by 50% over a six-year period

Written by: Ayman Ragab

Tunisian exports to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) by 50% between 2019 and 2025, rising from 1.9 billion to 2.86 billion dinars and peaking at over 3 billion dinars in 2023, according to trade data released this week.

While Tunisia’s exports to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa increased by 50% over six years, imports from those same countries reached 2.06 billion dinars in 2025. These results confirm Tunisia’s growing integration into the African intra-regional trade zone, despite the temporary slowdown associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Gradual redirection of Tunisian trade towards the African continent

This dynamic reflects a gradual redirection of Tunisian trade towards the African continent, aiming to diversify markets beyond the country's traditional European partners, according to APA.

Tunisia's membership in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), along with the gradual rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has contributed to reducing some customs barriers, according to analysts cited by the Tunisian economic press.

Streamlining administrative procedures and providing greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Tunisian authorities are currently focusing on simplifying administrative procedures and providing greater support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to strengthen their presence in the African market.

However, the country still relies heavily on its European partners, making it vulnerable to external economic shocks, according to the same sources.