Tunisia - The trade deficit tripled in January 2025 to stand at -TND 1,765.5 million, compared with -TND 577.6 million for the same period in 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Excluding energy, the trade balance deficit narrowed to -TND 687 million, while the energy balance deficit stood at -TND 1,078.4 million, compared with -TND 683.6 million in January 2024, the INS reveals in a note on foreign trade at current prices in January 2025, released on Wednesday.

The deficit is mainly due to the deficit recorded with a number of countries, such as China (-TND 971.2 million), Russia (-TND 647.1 million), Algeria (-TND 281.6 million), Turkey (-TND 220.8 million), Greece (-TND 197.6 million) and India (-TND 103.6 million).

On the other hand, the balance of trade in goods recorded a surplus with other countries, mainly France (TND 361.7 million), Germany (TND 276.6 million), Italy (TND 268 million), Libya (TND 180.5 million) and Morocco (TND 79.4 million).

The coverage rate stood at 74%, compared with 89.9% in January 2024.

The results of Tunisia's foreign trade at current prices in January 2025 show that exports reached TND 5025.8 million, compared with TND 5148.5 million in January 2024.

Imports amounted to TND 6,791.3 million, compared with TND 5,726.1 million in January 2024.

The drop in exports, according to the INS, is mainly due to a 52.8% fall in exports from the energy sector as a result of lower sales of refined products (TND 28.5 million against TND 191.5 million), as well as a 9.7% decline in exports from the food-processing sector as a result of lower sales of olive oil (TND 518.4 million against TND 607.8 million).

However, exports rose by 20.5% in the mining, phosphates and derivatives sector and by 2.5% in the textiles, clothing and leather sector.

//Tunisian exports to the EU down by 9.8% //

Tunisian exports to the European Union (67.9% of total exports) were down by 9.8%.

This decline is explained on the one hand by the drop in exports to some European partners, such as France (-6.2%), Italy (-7.5%) and Spain (-59%), and on the other hand by the increase seen with Germany (+13%) and the Netherlands (+18.8%).

Exports to Arab countries grew with Libya (+62.3%), Morocco (+58.9%), Algeria (+0.8%) and Egypt (+176.5%).

The rise in imports was due to a 24% increase in imports of energy products, following a rise in purchases of refined products (TND 1,219.2 million compared with TND 623.2 million).

Likewise, imports are up for capital goods (+14.1%), raw materials and semi-finished products (+13.2%), consumer goods (+18.5%) and food products (+37.9%).

Imports with the European Union (41.7% of total imports) rose by 4.2% to TND 2,830.5 million.

Imports were up by 1.8% with France and by 8.7% with Italy. Conversely, they were down by 0.4% with Germany, by 2% with Spain and by 14.6% with Belgium.

Outside the European Union, imports rose by 62.3% from China, 51.2% from Russia, 12.2% from India and 10.4% from Turkey.

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