Tunisia launches strategic study to restructure sugar industry and secure supplies

Fieldwork begins on sugar-sector review

Tunisia has started fieldwork for a comprehensive strategic study of its sugar industry, opening a review intended to reshape how the country organizes production, procurement and supply security. The work began on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, after a meeting of stakeholders from the production and supply sides of the sector at the headquarters of the Tunisian Trade Office, known by its French abbreviation OCT.

The study is being conducted by the Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies, or ITCEQ. Participants include representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, experts from the institute and several OCT officials. This combination brings together the public bodies responsible for trade, industrial policy, analysis and market supply.

Supply continuity and stocks take priority

The stated objective is to develop operational solutions for restructuring the sugar value chain, maintaining continuity of supply and improving the security of Tunisia’s strategic stocks. The authorities want a comprehensive view of the sector and proposals capable of securing the domestic market over the long term.

The review comes as international commodity prices fluctuate and Tunisia faces higher import costs. Those pressures make procurement conditions and global sugar quotations central to the study. A stronger stock policy could provide a buffer against short-term disruption, while changes to the wider value chain could affect domestic producers, processors, distributors and companies that depend on sugar as an industrial input.

No production targets, investment budget, capacity figures or timetable for completing the study were disclosed in the source material. It also did not specify whether the restructuring could include new processing capacity, changes in domestic crop production, revised import procedures or adjustments to stock-management rules. These questions will determine whether the exercise primarily improves administration or leads to physical changes in Tunisia’s sugar industry.

Two committees will oversee the process

The launch meeting established the methodology and terms of reference for the study. Participants also created a governance framework to monitor its implementation. Two bodies—a steering committee and a technical committee—will accompany the work and follow its different stages.

For companies operating in the Tunisian food and beverage market, the practical importance of the review will depend on the measures eventually proposed and adopted. Reliable sugar availability affects purchasing plans, processing schedules and inventory decisions across the sector. The study’s focus on production, procurement, international prices and strategic reserves indicates that Tunisia is assessing the chain as an integrated system rather than treating imports or domestic activity in isolation. Until the recommendations are published, however, the initiative remains a planning exercise rather than a confirmed investment or regulatory program.