Tunisia moves to deepen agri food trade with Indonesia

TUNISIA – Tunisia plans to grow its agri food exports by building a stronger trade link with Indonesia with the two countries expect to sign a preferential trade agreement by January 2026.

The Jakarta Globe reported the update on November 25 and quoted Indonesian Trade Minister Budi Santoso, who said that talks now sit in the final stage. “We have closed nearly all points and expect to finalise the deal very soon,” he said.

Agricultural and food exports make up less than 15 percent of Tunisia’s export earnings. The government now looks for new trade partners to create more space for its products abroad. Officials in Tunis believe the agreement with Indonesia can open steady markets for farm and food goods.

The agreement focuses on lowering tariffs on selected products. Tunisia plans to give easier entry terms to Indonesian palm oil, bananas, cocoa, frozen fish and textile yarns. In return, Indonesia will cut customs duties on Tunisian goods such as shellfish and dates.

Santoso said the two sides want a balanced deal that brings value to both markets. “We want a fair exchange that supports our traders and gives them room to grow,” he said.

Officials in Tunis believe the agreement can help their olive oil sector in the coming season. For the 2025 to 2026 export cycle, the government aims to send more olive oil to markets outside Europe. Last October, Tunis announced plans to reach buyers in Asia and South America to sell expected surplus volumes.

Indonesia imported nearly 21 million US dollars worth of olive oil in 2024. Only 1 percent of that amount came from Tunisia. The country faces stiff competition from Italy, Spain, Egypt and Turkey. Trade experts in Tunis say the agreement can help farmers enter this market with more confidence.

Trade data from UNCTAD shows that Indonesia imported an average of nearly 23.3 billion US dollars worth of food products per year between 2021 and 2023. Tunisian export bodies see room for goods such as dates, seafood and processed food items.

Officials in Tunis say that the agreement fits into a broader plan to raise the share of agricultural exports in the country’s trade mix. “We want our farmers to reach more markets and build stable links with buyers,” a senior official at the Agriculture Ministry said.

Tunis and Jakarta plan to hold their final technical meetings in the coming weeks. Both sides expect to complete the document before the start of 2026.

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