Addressing 30 Vietnamese and Tunisian companies, Commissioner of the UTICA National Executive Office Abdessalem Loued called the annual matchmaking event an effective platform to drive economic and trade ties.
Though geographically distant, the two countries share strategic locations in their respective regions, skilled human resources, and a strong commitment to expanding international trade, which form the bedrock for a lasting and mutually beneficial partnership, he said.
Vietnam has become one of Asia’s most dynamic economies, backed by a robust industrial base and a domestic market of more than 100 million people. Tunisia brings its own advantages such as a strategic geographical position, extensive free trade agreements, and high-value-added industries that make it a gateway to Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean region.
According to him, cooperation opportunities are broad and diverse, spanning food processing, electronic components, apparel, information technology, renewable energy, logistics services and the digital economy. The complementarity of the two economies can optimise resources and generate strong momentum for shared growth.
Loued singled out olive oil, one of Tunisia’s flagship products, as a prime candidate for export to Vietnam. Tunisia is among the world’s top global producers and exporters, with more than 100 million olive trees and generations of expertise. Its premium oils have earned multiple international awards.
Tunisia imports roughly 30,000 tonnes of raw coffee beans a year, mostly robusta, alongside 30,000 tonnes of rice and 360,000 tonnes of sugar. Once restricted to state-run tenders, imports of these staples have been opened to licensed private companies since 2024 under Law 120.
Bilateral trade hit 180 million USD in 2025, including Tunisia’s purchase of 10,000 tonnes of Vietnamese robusta green coffee worth over 50 million USD. In the first five months of this year, Vietnam shipped 8,500 tonnes of raw coffee to the Tunisian market.
Vietnamese Trade Counsellor Hoang Duc Nhuan outlined Vietnam’s economic development, export – import policies and the bilateral relationship. Vietnam and Tunisia signed a trade agreement in 1994 granting each other the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) status and have held three Inter-Governmental Committee sessions, most recently in Tunis in April 2018.
Vietnam exports footwear, mobile phones, coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, desiccated coconut, seafood, electronics, yarn, electrical cables, transformers, apparel, fabrics, plastics and carboxylic acids to Tunisia. Imports from Tunisia include seafood, medical equipment, animal-feed ingredients, dates, figs, cotton, plastic raw materials, leather and textiles.
Nhuan also introduced a slate of international trade fairs in Vietnam, including the Vietnam International Sourcing Expo in September, Vietnam Food Expo in November, and Vietnam Expo in December, and invited Tunisian agencies and firms to join.
Participants urged both governments to ease market access through tariff cuts, a bilateral business council and wider use of export credit insurance. They also requested details on potential export products, trade policies, visa rules, air links and support mechanisms, with organisers giving point-by-point answers.
On the occasion, the Vietnam Trade Office displayed product catalogues and samples and offered coffee tastings. During the matchmaking session, several Tunisian firms found out potential partners for raw coffee, spices, rice, seafood, paper products and plastic raw materials from Vietnam.
The two sides agreed to expand trade promotion, exchange business delegations, raise awareness of each market’s strengths, facilitate matchmaking, support attendance at major trade fairs, and cooperate in dispute settlement and business advisory services.
While in Tunis, Nhuan met with officials from the Department for Cooperation with Arab and ASEAN Countries under the Tunisian Ministry of Trade and Export Development, the Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, UTICA and the Tunisian Confederation of Citizen Enterprises (CONECT). He also attended the IFTA AFRICA 2026 food trade exhibition./.
