Tunisia has secured a new $500 million term loan facility from the African Export-Import Bank to finance essential imports, strengthen foreign-currency liquidity and meet maturing trade-related obligations. The facility is being extended through the Central Bank of Tunisia on behalf of the Ministry of Finance.
The agreement was signed in Cairo between Afreximbank President George Elombi and Central Bank of Tunisia Governor Fethi Zouhaier Nouri. The new financing adds to about $1.2 billion previously provided by Afreximbank to Tunisia.
The facility will support imports of strategic goods, including fuel, food products and fertilizers. These imports are critical for Tunisia’s economy, especially as the country continues to manage external financing needs and pressure on its trade balance.
The financing comes despite an improvement in Tunisia’s foreign-exchange reserves. Central Bank data showed that reserves stood at more than 100 days of imports during the first quarter of 2026, supported by tourism revenues and remittances from Tunisians abroad.
However, Tunisia’s external position remains under pressure from a widening trade deficit. The current-account deficit increased to 2.5 percent of GDP in 2025, while imports of energy products, raw materials and capital goods continued to grow faster than exports.
Energy imports remain a major source of foreign-currency demand because Tunisia is a net importer of hydrocarbons. Declining domestic energy production and continued consumption needs have increased the country’s dependence on imported fuel.
Food imports also remain strategically important, especially for cereals and other staple products. The new Afreximbank facility is expected to help Tunisia maintain access to these essential goods while supporting economic stability.
Afreximbank said the facility reflects its commitment to supporting Tunisia’s socio-economic priorities and Africa-led development financing. The Central Bank of Tunisia also emphasized the importance of trade finance and foreign-currency liquidity for sustaining essential imports.
The deal comes at a time when many African countries continue to face trade finance gaps. Afreximbank’s 2025 Trade Finance Report estimated Africa’s unmet trade-finance demand at between $74 billion and $92 billion in 2024.
Overall, the $500 million facility will help Tunisia manage import financing, meet trade obligations and strengthen economic resilience. By supporting access to fuel, food and fertilizers, the financing is expected to play an important role in stabilizing key supply chains and easing external financing pressures.
