Lang
The Italian news agency 'ANSA' reported that Tunisian olive oil will not be subject to the new additional tariffs imposed by the US administration on imports from several of its trading partners, a development expected to enhance its competitive position in the American market.
The agency clarified that Tunisia is not among the 60 economies that were subject to US investigations under Section 301 of the US Trade Act. Consequently, the new additional tariffs, ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent, will not apply to Tunisian products. Documents from the Office of the United States Trade Representative further confirm Tunisia's exclusion from the list of economies affected by these measures.
The list of targeted countries includes direct competitors to Tunisia in the olive oil market, such as Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey. This situation could provide Tunisian products with an additional competitive advantage in the US market.
'ANSA' emphasized that this is not a special exemption granted specifically to Tunisian olive oil; rather, Tunisia as a whole was not included in the list of economies targeted by the additional duties. Thus, Tunisian goods remain subject to their regular applicable customs duties, where appropriate, without the new increase associated with the Section 301 measures.
This status is expected to positively impact Tunisian olive oil exports to the United States, particularly as competing products from other Mediterranean countries face the new tariffs.
The United States currently ranks as the third most important market for Tunisian olive oil, following Spain and Italy. According to data reported by the agency, citing the National Observatory of Agriculture, Tunisia exported approximately 327.4 thousand tons of olive oil between November 2025 and May 2026, generating revenues exceeding 1.2 billion Euros.
The US market accounted for about 18.3 percent of the total exported quantities of Tunisian olive oil, with this percentage rising to approximately 24 percent for organic olive oil.
This situation may offer a valuable opportunity for Tunisian producers and exporters to strengthen their presence in the American market, whether through packaged olive oil bottled in Tunisia or through bulk oil destined for international bottling companies and traders.
However, this advantage may not be permanent, as US authorities could potentially expand the scope of their investigations or modify the list of countries subject to the new measures in the future.
According to the same data, Spain accounts for 33.6 percent of exported Tunisian olive oil quantities, followed by Italy with 19.5 percent, and then the United States with 18.3 percent.
Source: Tunisie Telegraph