World Country Guide

Business Profile

Economy
Tunisia lacks the vast natural resources of its North African neighbours, but careful and successful economic management has brought the country reasonable prosperity. Annual GDP growth is just over 5 per cent and current inflation is just under 3 per cent. Only unemployment at 14.3 per cent is a cause for concern. Agriculture and mining are the foundations of the economy. The main agricultural products are wheat, barley, olive oil, wine and fruit, but other foodstuffs have to be imported. Large quantities of phosphate ores are mined along with iron, lead, aluminium fluoride and zinc. Tunisia is also a modest oil exporter, although this industry is in decline; natural gas reserves are likely to last longer. There is a small manufacturing sector involved in processing organic chemicals derived from petroleum and purification of phosphate ore. Other industries produce textiles, construction materials, machinery, chemicals, paper and wood. Tourism dominates the service sector, though the industry is sensitive both to the regional political climate and, more recently, international terrorism: the latter in particular has led to a recent downturn. According to the most recent figures, over five million people visited the country in 2002, contributing nearly US$2 billion to the Tunisian economy.
Government economic policy during the last decade has followed the path of deregulation, including abolition of trade controls, privatisation and making the Tunisian Dinar fully convertible. Tunisia's most important trade links are with the EU whose members (principally France and Germany) account for three-quarters of all the country's trade. Economic relations were strengthened during 1995 by the signing of a free trade agreement with the EU, which is being introduced over a 12-year period ending in 2010. This is similar in content to the association agreements signed by would-be members. Although a considerable diplomatic coup for the Tunisian government, the agreement was part of a wider trend of growing trade links between the southern part of the EU and the rest of the Mediterranean basin. Tunisia is a member of the Union of the Arab Maghreb, the main North African political and economic bloc, and of various pan-Arab economic organisations.

Business
Arabic and French are the most widely used languages in business circles and a knowledge of either is useful. Interpreter services are available. Appointments are required. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1300 and 1500-1745 (winter); Mon-Sat 0830-1300 (summer). Government office opening hours may vary by half an hour.

Commercial Information
The following organisations can offer advice: Agence de Promotion de l'Industrie (API), 63 rue de Syrie, 1002 Tunis (tel: (71) 792 144; fax: (71) 782 482; e-mail: api@api.com.tn; website: www.tunisieindustrie.nat.tn); or Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Tunis, 1 rue des Entrepreneurs, 1000 Tunis (tel: (71) 359 300; fax: (71) 354 744; e-mail: ccitunis@planet.tn).

Conferences/Conventions
The following organisation can supply information: Direction du Marketing at the Office National du Tourisme Tunisien (see Contact Addresses section).