Tunisia-Italy trade hits 20.5 billion dinars as business forum opens in Tunis

Tunisia and Italy recorded bilateral trade of around 20.5 billion dinars (approximately €6.08 billion) in 2025, Prime Minister Sarra Zaafrani Zenzri said on Wednesday 24 June as she co-opened the Italy-Tunisia Economic and Business Forum in Tunis alongside Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

The figure represents a further 8 percent increase in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year. For the first five months of 2026, trade between Italy and Tunisia reached 9.432 billion dinars, equivalent to approximately €2.8 billion , according to Tunisia's National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Forum opens at UTICA on the 70th anniversary

Prime Minister Zaafrani Zenzri presided over the opening ceremony at the headquarters of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture (UTICA) in the presence of Antonio Tajani, Deputy President of the Italian Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Also present were Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, UTICA president Samir Majoul, Italian Ambassador to Tunisia Alessandro Prunas, ICE president Matteo Zoppas, and Confindustria representative Antonio Gozzi.

The forum takes place 70 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and brings together approximately 500 participants, including over 160 representatives of the Italian manufacturing system and more than 300 Tunisian economic operators.

In her opening remarks, the Tunisian Prime Minister noted that Italy is Tunisia's leading foreign investor in the energy sector and the third largest investor in the country overall. "Over 1,072 Italian-owned companies currently operate in Tunisia, with investments estimated at approximately 3.7 billion Tunisian dinars (approximately €1.1 billion)," Zaafrani Zenzri said.

More than 160,000 Italian tourists visited Tunisia in 2025 , she added, citing the figures as evidence of deepening ties beyond the purely commercial.

Italy urges its companies to invest

On the Italian side, Tajani urged entrepreneurs to invest in Tunisia, stating: "I tell my compatriots to trust Tunisia, to invest in Tunisia, and to look carefully at Tunisia," and assuring the Italian government's full support in overcoming bureaucratic, tariff, and administrative obstacles.

Tajani also highlighted the presence in Tunis of Italy's full internationalisation system, with ICE, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, SACE, SIMEST, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation committed to supporting the bilateral partnership.

Tajani also raised the possibility of converting part of Tunisia's debt into investments — a figure of €70 million was cited — to finance structural projects and create sustainable opportunities.

Agreements and the Elmed cable

The visit was accompanied by the signing of a series of agreements. Among these: a cooperation deal between ICE and Tunisia's export promotion agency CEPEX; a partnership between CDP, SACE, SIMEST and the Tunisian-Italian Chamber of Commerce to support business internationalisation; the creation of an "Italian Desk" at the Union Bancaire pour le Commerce et l'Industrie; a COMITES-UTICA programme to develop the skills of young Italian-Tunisian citizens; and a memorandum between Italian group Duferco and Tunisian company Pireco in the renewable energy sector.

The flagship infrastructure project underpinning the energy partnership is Elmed. At its heart is a 600-megawatt subsea power cable between Partanna in Sicily and Cap Bon in Tunisia, representing a total investment of around €850 million and co-financed by the European Union. The infrastructure will stabilise the Tunisian grid and enable the import into Europe of renewable energy produced in Tunisia. Tajani announced at the forum that tender procedures for the project — run by Tunisia's state energy company STEG and Italian grid operator TERNA — have been completed and it is entering the construction phase, Italian media reported.

Tunisia as a nearshoring hub

The reconfiguration of global supply chains, accelerated by geopolitical tensions and logistical challenges along Asian and Red Sea routes, is strengthening Tunisia's position as a nearshoring destination. Transit times to Italian ports, ranging from 20 to 36 hours, represent a competitive advantage over Asian production for supplies requiring a high degree of flexibility.

Tunisia is specialising in the production of electrical wiring harnesses, plastic components and electronic systems, providing support to supply chains linked to Stellantis and other European industrial hubs.

The forum is also one of the key economic events of 2026 within the framework of the Mattei Plan for Africa, which identifies Tunisia as a priority partner for energy, industrial and infrastructure cooperation.

The second day, Thursday 25 June, is dedicated to business-to-business meetings between Italian and Tunisian companies.