São Paulo – Tunisia recorded a surplus of TND 59.9 million in its fish products trade balance in May, according to data released on Monday (21) by the National Agricultural Observatory (ONAGRI). Despite the positive figure, equivalent to about USD 20.5 million at the current exchange rate, the surplus fell by 67.5% compared to May last year due to a drop in exports and an increase in imports in the sector.
Tunisia’s fish exports totaled 11,400 tons in May, generating revenue of TMND 267.3 million (USD 91.7 million). There was a decrease of 19.7% in volume and 21.2% in value compared to the same month in 2024. One factor that weighed on performance was a 2% drop in export prices.
The sector’s top exports from Tunisia in May were fish, totaling 5,200 tons, followed by canned and semi-preserved products with 2,900 tons, and crustaceans with 2,700 tons. The main buyers of Tunisia’s fishery products were Italy, accounting for 31% of the total, Spain in second place with 14%, and Libya with 12%.
Meanwhile, fishery product imports increased by 33.9%, reaching 207.4 million dinars (USD 71.2 million) in May. The imported volume also rose by 35.5%, totaling 31,700 tons. According to ONAGRI, sector imports are mainly intended for industrial processing (76.9%), followed by supply to the Tunisian market (22.7%), and then fattening (0.4%).
The news was published by state news agency TAP.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
