Trade relations between Italy and Tunisia are strong, with exchanges increasing each year, reaching nearly 15 billion Tunisian dinars—a significant figure, the Italian Ambassador to Tunisia, Alessandro Prunas, said on Express FM.
Italy is Tunisia’s second-largest supplier (having previously been the first), its second-largest trading partner, and one of its most important investors.
“There are roughly 1,000 Italian companies established and operating stably in Tunisia, creating 85,000 direct jobs,” he said, noting that in the first six months of 2025 alone, Italian companies created nearly 1,500 jobs through new investments or the expansion of existing ones.
Prunas explained that Italian companies in Tunisia are highly diversified, ranging from mechanical engineering to textiles (a traditional but still important sector), as well as the medical sector, automotive components, and agricultural processing.
He added that there is significant potential in innovation. Tunisia has impressive technoparks; for instance, Terna, a partner in the ELMED project, launched an innovation center in Tunis, its second worldwide after San Francisco.
“This speaks volumes about Italian companies’ confidence in Tunisia’s new technology sector.”
The diplomat also mentioned a mapping of around 1,500 Tunisian startups, of which 300 are ready to scale. “Tunisia has a very interesting ecosystem, and I encourage Italian companies to explore opportunities, particularly in the technology sector.”
“For automotive component companies, an important sector in Italy where it is a major producer, co-location in Tunisia could be a great opportunity. Logistically, it’s very convenient. Tunisia has an educated population with the skills sought by investors,” he added.
The ELMED project
Regarding the ELMED project, Prunas said it is progressing well. The two partners, STEG and Terna, have signed the contract with the submarine cable producer and will launch tenders to advance the project.
He emphasized that it is a “strategic initiative not only for the two countries but for the two continents. This is not just an electric cable connecting Sicily and Tunisia; it will link two continents and help Tunisia and North Africa improve energy security by providing an additional long-term supply source, giving Tunisia the opportunity to become an exporter of clean energy while enhancing its energy security and self-sufficiency.”
From January 1 to the end of September 2025, trade between Italy and Tunisia exceeded €4.427 billion (15.054 billion Tunisian dinars), confirming Tunisia’s position as Italy’s top EU supplier, with exports to Italy totaling €2.09 billion (7.11 billion dinars at the current exchange rate).
According to recent data from the Tunisian National Institute of Statistics (INS), Tunisian exports to Italy totaled 7.947 billion dinars (approximately €2.35 billion) during the first nine months of 2025, slightly down from 8.836 billion dinars (€2.6 billion) in 2024.
