The most exported food product
Olive oil is the main food product exported from Tunisia. In 2020, it accounted for around 47 percent of total food exports, followed by dates at 15 percent. In the same year, the product reached an approximate export value of 2.3 billion Tunisian dinars (837 million U.S. dollars), increasing considerably compared to 2019. Monthly exports did not decline during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020. On the contrary, they peaked in March 2020 at 260 million Tunisian dinars (around 93 million U.S. dollars).Export trade mainly to Europe and America
Most olive oil is exported in bulk, with an average export price ranging from 7.37 Tunisian dinars (around 2.60 U.S. dollars) per liter for virgin olive oil to 5.32 Tunisian dinars (1.88 U.S. dollars) per liter for lampante oil. The main export destinations of bulk olive oil are Spain and Italy. Together with Tunisia, these Mediterranean countries are the leading exporters of olive oil worldwide, but they are also among the leading consumers of this product. Olive oil is therefore imported to sustain a high domestic demand. Part of the imported oil is mixed with the local oil and then packaged under Italian or Spanish brands.On the other hand, a smaller part of the exports is made up of bottled olive oil from Tunisian brands. For this reason, Tunisian olive oil remains less known worldwide compared to that from Italy or Spain. The United States and Canada are the main destinations of Tunisian packaged olive oil.