Vietnam and Tunisia ramp up trade cooperation

The event was held as part of the ongoing working visit to Tunis by a Vietnamese delegation of the Vietnam Trade Office in Algeria from October 31 to November 5.

Addressing delegates, Slim Ghorbel, vice president of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), emphasised that the trade exchange was expected to create a wealth of opportunities to strengthen economic and trade relations between Tunisia and Vietnam.

He said Tunisia is one of the most dynamic and competitive economies in the African-Arab region and has a convenient location near Europe.

The country has joined eight multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). It is considered as a gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter African and Arab markets, especially the North African region.

The UTICA official called on Vietnamese businesses to partner with Tunisian firms in fields such as the processing industry, new technology, and fish farming in order to take full advantage of the country’s strategic location and natural resources, modern infrastructure, and highly-skilled workers.

He expressed his hope that Vietnam would create favourable conditions for Tunisia’s key products such as dates, olive oil, phosphates to make inroads into its market.

The UTICA representative also revealed that his agency would dispatch a trade promotion delegation to Vietnam in the first half of next year to organise a business forum and introduce advantageous Tunisian products.

Two-way trade reached approximately US$66 million last year and nearly US$70 million during the initial nine months of the year.

Major Vietnamese exports products to the market include raw coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, seafood, machinery and equipment, razors, and fabrics, while its major imports are seafood, dates, chemicals, plastic items, clothes, and raw materials for animal feed.