Algeria and Tunisia have seen bilateral trade surge by 42 percent over the past three years, Algeria’s foreign minister Ahmed Attaf told reporters in Algiers recently. The jump in exchange follows a policy push by both governments to deepen integration under the Arab Maghreb Union banner and to reduce dependence on European markets.
Figures released by the Algerian commerce ministry show two-way commerce rising from $210 million in 2022 to $298 million in 2025, with Algerian fuel and electricity exports to Tunisia accounting for more than half the total. Tunisian manufacturers of textiles, agri-food and pharmaceuticals have increased shipments northward, filling shelves in the east of Algeria where demand for consumer goods has outpaced local output.
For entrepreneurs on both sides of the border, the uptick creates immediate openings. Algerian founders of packaging plants in Annaba and pharmaceutical labs in Souk Ahras now find Tunisian buyers willing to lock in annual contracts rather than spot purchases. Tunisian textile exporters in Monastir and Nabeul have added second shifts to meet orders from Algiers-based clothing distributors who used to source from Turkey or China.
The upturn is not accidental. Attaf highlighted a raft of joint projects agreed during the Maghreb Summit in Tunis in November 2025 that fast-tracked customs clearance at border posts and created three new industrial corridors. In Tébessa, a 50-hectare zone dedicated to Tunisian auto-component makers is nearing completion, while in Gafsa a logistics park is being built to handle Algerian hydrocarbons transiting to Tunisia’s phosphate facilities.
SONATRACH, Algeria’s state energy company, has signed a three-year supply pact with Tunisia’s STEG utility, locking in volumes that give Tunisian industrialists predictable energy bills. Traders report that Algerian importers of Tunisian olive oil and bottled water now enjoy single-window clearance at the border, cutting transit time from four days to less than 36 hours.
Still, entrepreneurs caution that infrastructure bottlenecks remain. Road hauliers complain of persistent weigh-station delays on the RN5 route between Tébessa and Le Kef, and port congestion in Annaba still adds days to container schedules. Tunisian exporters note that Algerian dinar liquidity shortages can force them to accept euro-denominated letters of credit, exposing them to currency risk.
The 42 percent rise also underscores a shift in Algeria’s export mix. Hydrocarbons still dominate, but non-oil goods from Algeria—steel coils from Bellara, fertiliser from Arzew, and processed tomatoes from Mascara—are climbing the Tunisian market share ladder. For Tunisian founders, the Algerian hinterland offers a ready-made 45-million-consumer base, especially after Algiers accelerated the opening of branch offices for foreign retail chains.
Attaf’s announcement came as Algeria and Tunisia prepare to host a Maghreb business forum in Oran in January 2026, designed to convert the trade surge into concrete investment pacts. The event will include a financing window at the Maghreb Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade, offering loans at 4 percent for joint ventures that commit to hiring at least 60 percent of staff from either country.
Key takeaway for entrepreneurs
Algeria-Tunisia trade jumped 42 percent from 2022 to 2025, opening direct supply contracts for Algerian packaging and pharmaceutical firms and Tunisian textile and agri-food exporters. Joint industrial corridors in Tébessa and Gafsa and a SONATRACH-STEG energy pact provide anchor demand, while border and port bottlenecks still add delays and costs. The January 2026 Maghreb business forum in Oran will offer subsidised loans at 4 percent for cross-border ventures meeting local hiring rules.
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