The Ministry of Trade and Export Development is working to implement preferential trade agreements with a number of Asian countries so as to ensure a balanced trade between Tunisia and these markets, said Director of Cooperation with Arab and Asian Countries at the Trade and Export Development Ministry Chedli Elmay

«We are seeking to upgrade the existing legal frameworks, some of which date back to 2007, so as to facilitate the access of Tunisian companies to Asian markets,» Elmay told reporters on the sidelines of the Fifth Export Morning held Friday by the Tunisian Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) under the theme of «What Is the Export Potential of Agri-food Products on Asian markets?»

The ministry has launched a series of negotiations for preferential trade agreements with Indonesia, Pakistan and Iran, pending the one with India so as to ease the customs barriers Tunisian products often face.

It also involves expanding the application framework of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) with Japan. Tunisia proposed a list of new agri-food products, pending the Japanese response.

This list includes fruit (dates, grapes, etc.), vegetables (salads and artichokes), seafood (sea bass and crabs), animal products (poultry legs) and processed products (canned sardines and harissa).

Elmay recalled that Tunisia's exports to Asian markets reached 2,427.5 million dinars in 2022, against imports estimated at 13,996.1 million dinars.

The country exports phosphate derivatives, dates, olive oil, scrap metals and sea products and imports electronic and electrical equipment, fibres and fabrics.

The imbalance is due to the geographical location, technical conditions and soaring shipping costs, in addition to the obsolete regulatory framework governing Tunisian-Asian trade relations, he explained.

CEPEX CEO Mourad Ben Hassine recalled that Asian countries account for 4.5% of exports in the agri-food sector.

He added that Tunisia exports goods to nearly 12 Asian markets with 300 million dollars, stressing that the untapped export potential to these markets is estimated at 1.6 billion dollars.

Ben Hassine spoke of the challenges of accessing Asian markets mainly due to sanitary and phytosanitary measures, stressing that the signature of preferential agreements will help solve this problem.

The CEPEX will organise, in the fourth quarter of 2023, the participation of Tunisian companies in fairs in India and Indonesia so as to promote Tunisia's strategic position and promote Tunisian products, the same source said.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse