Tunisia’s textile industry continues to thrive, establishing the country as a significant player in the global market despite a challenging international landscape.
According to recent data, Tunisia now ranks 10th globally as a clothing supplier to the European Union, surpassing major exporters like the UK, Sri Lanka, and Egypt. The country’s export value increased from €1.97 billion in 2019 to €2.36 billion in 2023, even as EU textile imports saw a decline of 16.22%.
Throughout 2023, Tunisia’s textile and clothing exports experienced positive growth, with clothing exports rising by 6.8%, generating a revenue of around 8.18 billion Tunisian dinars. Textile exports also saw a modest increase of 3.07%.
Expanding into African Markets
Tunisia’s ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement in 2020 presents new opportunities for expanding exports, particularly in workwear, to AfCFTA member countries via the EU.
This could lead to increased cooperation between Tunisia and the EU to penetrate new markets within this vast trade bloc.
Additionally, Tunisia could leverage the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to enhance its exports of denim products to the U.S., further diversifying its market reach.
While the outlook remains promising, the Tunisian textile sector faces pressing challenges, including financing difficulties and cumbersome administrative procedures.
Textiles and clothing: a difficult first half!
In the first half of 2024, Tunisia’s textile and clothing sector experienced a slight downturn in foreign trade compared to the same period in 2023. This was marked by a decrease in both the trade surplus and exports, while imports also saw a modest decline.
According to the Technical Centre for Textiles, the trade surplus in the sector dropped by 3.1 points, from 132.1% to 129%. This reduction was driven by a fall in exports, accompanied by a slight decrease in imports.
From January to May 2024, textile and clothing exports declined by 8.64% in value, amounting to 3.845 billion Tunisian dinars (approximately €1.2 billion).
This downturn affected both clothing exports, which decreased by 10.59% and fabric exports, down slightly by 2.51%. In terms of volume, overall exports fell by 11.81%, totaling 62,973.54 tons of textiles and clothing.
On the import side, the sector saw a 6.44% drop in value, bringing total imports to 2.981 billion Tunisian dinars (around €930 million). The decline was reflected in both fabric imports, which fell by 11.62%, and clothing imports, which decreased by 2.67%. In terms of volume, imports fell by 2.67%, reaching 146,847.94 tons.
