Tunisia wants to promote strategic partnership with Côte d'Ivoire
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Agriculture, industry, building and public works (BTP), health and land transport are the most promising sectors that should be promoted on the Ivorian market, within the framework of a strategic partnership, said the CEO of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX), Mourad Ben Hassine.
The official, who was speaking on Friday at a webinar organized by the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT International) on business and investment opportunities in Côte d'Ivoire, stressed the need to improve the means of access to this market in the framework of a strategic partnership.
According to Hassine, agricultural or zootechnical inputs such as fertilizers, phosphate and derivatives, veterinary drugs, food supplements, and livestock feed are products to be exported to the Ivorian market, in addition to chemical components, equipment, packaging, and related services (training, maintenance).
The health sector is growing strongly, according to Hassine, with a growing demand for medicines and food supplements.
The same is true for the construction sector, which remains an essential sector, through the export of construction materials and related services (design office, architects, topographers, etc.).
The official mentioned several other opportunities in the traditional export sectors, notably the agri-food sector (frozen fish, cereal-based preparations, fruit and vegetable preparations, fruit...), the sector of various industries (medicines, fertilisers, organic and inorganic chemical products) and the sector of mechanical and electrical industries (electrical appliances and components).
To develop exports from Tunisia to Côte d'Ivoire, Hassine believes that it is necessary to target the consumer directly, reduce risks and strengthen the competitiveness of products, in addition to "developing a promotion strategy based on clear objectives that target the customer and a long-term win-win partnership.
Regarding Tunisian-Ivorian trade, the official pointed out that Côte d'Ivoire is a strategic partner for Tunisia, and the first customer in sub-Saharan Africa and the 4th on the whole continent after Algeria, Libya and Morocco.
Tunisia is also the first supplier of Côte d'Ivoire in several products such as plaster, white cement, dates and olive oil.
In 2021, a record of exports to Côte d'Ivoire was recorded with a turnover of 240 million dinars (about 80 million dollars), an increase of 61 per cent, according to the official.
"The increase in exports has affected various sectors, including mainly various industries (phosphates, fertilizers, construction materials, and medicines), followed by the EMI sector (cables, electrical equipment and consumables), and finally, the agri-food sector (olive oil, dates, margarine, and biscuits).
The webinar was part of the preparations for an economic mission, which will be organized, from 4 to 8 December 2022, by CONECT international in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan.
-0- PANA BB/JSG/BBA/RA 16Sept2022
