Advertise
Tunisia's olive oil export sector has recorded exceptional performance during the first half of the 2025/26 marketing season, with total export revenues surging by 49.2% year-on-year to surpass 3.6 billion Tunisian dinars, according to data released by the Tunisian National Office of Oil.
The remarkable revenue growth reflects a combination of strong international demand for Tunisian olive oil, particularly from European markets, and favorable pricing conditions driven by tight global olive oil supply following two consecutive seasons of below-average production in Spain — the world's largest olive oil producer.
Tunisia benefited from its position as a major alternative supplier to European consumers and food manufacturers who have been compelled to seek non-Spanish sources following the significant reduction in Spanish olive oil output caused by drought and extreme heat events over the past two growing seasons.
Tunisian olive oil exports were directed predominantly toward the European Union, particularly Italy and Spain — both of which paradoxically serve as major re-exporters of Tunisian olive oil under their own national brands — as well as the United States and several Middle Eastern markets where demand for premium extra-virgin olive oil has been growing strongly.
Industry representatives cautioned, however, that Tunisia's current strong export performance is heavily dependent on the continuation of supply tightness in competing Mediterranean producing countries. A recovery in Spanish or Italian olive oil production in the 2026/27 season could significantly alter market conditions and put downward pressure on prices for the following season.
