Tunisia accelerates trade and investment strategy within African Continental Free Trade Area framework
via Business News2 min read
Samir Abid, Minister of Trade and Export Development, chaired the opening of a two-day workshop on May 5, 2026, focusing on the trade and investment acceleration program within the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA. The event brought together the Japanese Ambassador to Tunisia, public and private sector representatives, and experts. The Minister highlighted the strong Tunisian-Japanese relations, celebrating their 70th anniversary, and noted their evolution into a multidimensional partnership covering infrastructure, technology, and renewable energies. He also mentioned the growing presence of Japanese companies in Tunisia, particularly in the automotive, electronics, and energy sectors. The trade and investment acceleration program ATIA, launched in March 2025, aims to strengthen African integration by developing regional value chains, stimulating investment, and fostering an integrated African digital market. Structured around investment, services trade, and digital trade, the program emphasizes digital transformation. Tunisia aims to become a regional digital trade hub, leveraging its infrastructure, skills, and advanced regulatory framework. Initiatives include an online export system and the "Easy Export" project, designed to simplify and digitize export procedures for SMEs, young entrepreneurs, women, and artisans. The Digital Trade Regulatory Readiness Assessment DTRRA was presented as a key tool to identify legal and institutional gaps and align Tunisia with
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