Tunisia’s Ministry of Commerce and Export Development is rolling out a new, integrated strategy to grow the country’s olive oil and date exports, built on stronger financing, expanded storage capacity, and targeted promotion for producers and exporters heading into the next season.
Dorra Borji, Director General of Foreign Trade at the ministry, announced the plan at an information day held on October 16, 2026, in partnership with Tunisia’s Conseil Bancaire et Financier (Banking and Financial Council). The event, reported by Diwan FM and Kapitalis, reviewed the 2025/2026 season and introduced the financing tools available to companies processing, promoting, and exporting olive oil and dates.
A Sector Worth Billions of Dinars
The figures discussed at the event underline why the ministry is paying close attention. In the 2025/2026 season, Tunisia’s olive oil exports were worth roughly 5 billion Tunisian dinars, while date exports reached 1.011 billion dinars, crossing the 1-billion-dinar mark for the first time. Together, olive oil and dates make agri-food Tunisia’s second-largest export category, with olive oil alone accounting for about 61% of total food export revenue and dates contributing close to 10%.
Officials also flagged that many smaller exporters, particularly SMEs, are not fully aware of the financing and banking facilities already available to them, which is part of why banks and the ministry organized the joint briefing.
Looking Beyond Europe and the United States
Tunisia’s new action plan for olive oil rests on three pillars: storage, financing, and promotion, coordinated across the relevant ministries. A central goal is diversifying export destinations beyond the traditional markets of Europe and the United States. On the date side, Tunisian producers already export to 86 countries, and the Ministry of Agriculture recently led a prospecting mission to Senegal to explore new openings in West Africa.
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For buyers working with Tunisian suppliers, the push toward better storage infrastructure and more accessible export financing should translate into steadier, more consistent shipments and more competitive pricing as producers gain access to capital earlier in the season rather than waiting on buyer payment terms.
FAQ
How much does Tunisia earn from olive oil exports? In the 2025/2026 season, Tunisia’s olive oil exports were worth about 5 billion Tunisian dinars, making up roughly 61% of the country’s total food export revenue.
Is Tunisia trying to diversify its olive oil export markets? Yes. Tunisia’s Ministry of Commerce is building a strategy around storage, financing, and promotion to reduce reliance on Europe and the United States, including a recent trade mission to Senegal to explore African markets.
Source: Kapitalis
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