weighted score 3.4 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Tunisia
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Tunisia-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
3
No TVPRA listings. No state-sponsored forced labour programmes documented. Low structural forced labour risk relative to regional peers.
Worker rights & FOA
4
All eight ILO fundamental conventions ratified. UGTT is a strong, independent trade union federation. Freedom of association generally respected but under increasing pressure since 2021.
OHS & audit transparency
4
Multinational-linked factories generally auditable. SMETA and BSCI audits feasible. OHS enforcement variable outside export-oriented sectors. Audit access not restricted.
Food & product safety
3
Olive oil quality standards well-established and EU-aligned. RASFF alert rate for Tunisian-origin products is low. Food safety infrastructure adequate for core export categories.
Environmental & regulatory
3
No EUDR-regulated commodity exposure of note. No active IUU card. Environmental regulatory framework exists but enforcement capacity limited.
Governance & anti-corruption
5
TI CPI ~40/100. Governance trajectory negative since Saied's 2021 power consolidation. Judicial independence weakened. Corruption risk moderate and worsening.
Tariff & preferential access
2
EU Association Agreement provides duty-free industrial access. This is a significant compliance advantage — no tariff barriers for manufactured goods entering the EU.
Non-tariff barriers
3
No significant non-tariff barriers for core export categories. No CBAM exposure for primary exports (textiles, automotive components, olive oil). No UFLPA-equivalent risk.
Supply chain traceability
4
Olive oil traceability well-developed. Automotive component supply chains traceable through multinational procurement systems. Textiles traceability adequate but multi-tier opacity possible in sub-contracting.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour risk
- No Tunisian goods appear on the US Department of Labor TVPRA List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor. Tunisia is not flagged for state-sponsored forced labour programmes.
- ILO conventions
- Tunisia has ratified all eight ILO fundamental conventions, including C087 (Freedom of Association) and C098 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining). The UGTT (Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail) is one of the strongest trade union federations in the MENA region.
- Democratic backsliding
- President Kais Saied suspended parliament in July 2021 and has consolidated executive power. The new 2022 constitution significantly weakened checks and balances. Independent civil society organisations have faced increasing pressure. These developments raise governance risk for long-term sourcing relationships.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- EU Association Agreement
- Tunisia benefits from an EU Association Agreement (in force since 1998) providing duty-free access for industrial goods. Tariff risk score is low (Tariff 2) — industrial exports enter the EU without customs duties.
- Governance & anti-corruption
- Transparency International CPI 2024: approximately 40/100 — moderate corruption risk. Score has declined since the 2021 political changes. Judicial independence concerns have increased under the Saied administration.
- Olive oil quality standards
- Tunisia's olive oil exports to the EU are subject to EU quality and traceability requirements. Tunisian olive oil quality certification has improved significantly, with increasing adoption of EU-aligned testing and labelling standards. The sector is well-regulated relative to other Tunisian exports.