Tunisia's trade deficit reached 20.997 billion dinars over the first nine months of 2026, up 25.5% from 16.727 billion recorded a year earlier, according to data published on Monday 12 October by the National Institute of Statistics.
Exports rose 8.6% to 50.4 billion dinars, while imports increased 13.1% to 71.397 billion. This gap in growth rates brought the export coverage ratio of foreign purchases down to 70.6%, compared with 73.5% between January and September 2025.
Energy accounts for almost half of the overall imbalance. Its deficit stood at 10.48 billion dinars, compared with 8.106 billion a year earlier, an increase of about 29.3%. Excluding energy products, the trade deficit comes to 10.517 billion dinars.
Raw materials and semi-finished goods produced a negative balance of 5.242 billion dinars. Capital goods added a deficit of 3.423 billion and consumer goods another 2.772 billion. By contrast, food trade generated a surplus of 919.8 million dinars.
The rise in exports was supported by agri-food, mechanical and electrical industries, and energy, according to the INS sectoral breakdown. It was not, however, enough to offset the acceleration in foreign purchases, particularly in categories exposed to the costs of energy and inputs.
Imports from China rose 7.5% and those from Turkey 6.7%. They fell, however, by 54% from Russia and by 22.7% from the United Kingdom. The published figures are expressed at current prices, meaning they include price effects as well as changes in trade volumes.