Marina Sarruf*
marina.sarruf@anba.com.br
São Paulo – The free trade agreement between Tunisia and the European Union, which was put in place 12 years ago, started the year of 2008 with significant advances. Tariffs on industrial products traded between both nations have been eliminated and the liberation of fees on agricultural products and services is also being discussed, a matter that should be decided on by 2010.
According to the ambassador of Tunisia to Brazilian capital Brasília, Sefeddine Cherif, the advances also bring advantages to Brazil. "Brazilian companies may export to the European Union through Tunisia," he said. Brazilian exports to the European bloc last year totalled US$ 40.42 billion. The main products shipped were soy, iron ore, coffee, crude oil, chemical wood pulp, maize, orange juice, tobacco and meats.
According to information published by newspaper Al-Watan, from Kuwait, the Tunisian minister of Industry, Energy and Small and Medium Companies, Afif Chalabi, stated last week that Tunisia is the first country on the southern shore of the Mediterranean to complete all phases of entry into a free trade area with the EU. The minister also said that the national industry has entered a new era, with an ambition to strengthen its position as a Euro-Mediterranean industrial base.
Chalabi, according to the paper, added that the agreement for partnership with the Europeans has caused a radical change in the strategic position of Tunisian industry, which managed to preserve its competitiveness thanks to its adaptation to the needs of the European market. From 1995, one year before the agreement, to 2007, exports from Tunisia to the EU more than tripled, from US$ 3.3 billion to US$ 12 billion.
According to information supplied by the Tunisian embassy in Brasília, exports from the Arab country to the European bloc were also marked by diversification of the industrial product basket, like mechanical cables for the aeronautics sector and electronic products.
With the progress of the agreement, the government of Tunisia hopes that by 2011 its exports reach US$ 19 billion. The European Union imports around 80% of manufactured products from Tunisia, which represents the largest part of exports from the Arab country. Apart from foreign sales, the investment made in Tunisian industry should also expand due to the economic stability of the country. The government hopes that European capital and capital from other investor countries may rise from the current US$ 205 million to US$ 412 million by 2011.
*With Saleh Haidar
