Latest news with #CEPEX
African Manager
10-06-2025
- Business
- African Manager
'ABPD 2025' poised to redefine Tunisia-Africa economic ties
The 1st edition of the Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) already billed as a 'major event for developing partnerships between Tunisia and sub-Saharan African countries,' will bring together twelve sub-Saharan African countries in Tunis from June 23 to 25. Mourad Ben Hassine, the CEO of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX), said that ten African countries will be represented by companies, while the remaining two will attend through export support structures or chambers of commerce and industry. The participating countries are Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Senegal, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. 'So far, 33 African companies from these countries have confirmed their attendance at this event, exceeding the target of 30 companies.' More than fifty Tunisian companies are expected to participate in the event, Ben Hassine added in a statement to TAP, pointing out that CEPEX is targeting the participation of 100 Tunisian companies. Operating in sectors such as agri-food, construction and public works, health, ICT, start-ups and services, these companies will hold professional networking meetings via a digital platform set up for this purpose. Nearly 1,000 business meetings are scheduled to take place over the first two days of the three-day event (23–25 June 2025), following the official opening chaired by the Minister of Trade and Export Development. Technical workshops are also planned, the themes of which will be determined according to requests from export support structures and chambers of commerce and industry in the participating countries. 'We also intend to sign bilateral agreements or memorandums of understanding on cooperation and information exchange with the bodies responsible for investment and export development, as well as with CEPEX's counterparts in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Burkina Faso.' Digital exchange platforms In this respect, Ben Hassine indicated that CEPEX is working on a project to set up digital information exchange platforms, which will provide access to information on products intended for export. These platforms will facilitate instantaneous product exchange operations. He said that the aim is to respond to calls for tenders from African countries via these platforms. He also emphasized the possibility of forging investment partnerships in processing industries between Tunisia and other African countries. 'We came up with this project because we noticed that Tunisian companies operating in certain sectors were importing products from other continents when these products are already available on the African market. Moreover, importing under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement reduces costs for Tunisian companies. This event, which follows the success of the three editions of the 'Tunisia Africa Business Meetings' (2020–2022 and 2024), is specific in that it targets African countries where CEPEX has no commercial representation, such as Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, and Burkina Faso. The primacy of investment The 1st Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) are being organized by the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) under the presidency of the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad. The event is supported by the 'Arab Africa Trade Bridges' program,' which is financed by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), and the 'Qawafel' program, which is financed by the French Development Agency. The event forms part of CEPEX's ongoing efforts to target the sub-Saharan African market and develop trade with sub-Saharan African countries. The focus is on Tunisia-Africa partnership and investment cooperation rather than exports, particularly given the solid economic growth indicators on the African continent. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group's flagship report, 'African Economic Outlook 2025' (AEO 2025), Africa's economic growth is expected to rise from 3.3% in 2024 to 3.9% in 2025, reaching 4% next year, despite rising geopolitical uncertainties and trade tensions.
African Manager
23-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia: 1st edition of 'Africa Business Partnership Days' June 23-25 in Tunis
The Export Promotion Center (CEPEX) is organizing the first edition of Africa Business Partnership Days (ABPD 2025) from June 23 to 25, 2025, in Tunis, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad. Aligned with Tunisia's national strategy to boost trade with Sub-Saharan African countries, ABPD 2025 targets business leaders in key sectors, including agri-food industries, construction & building materials, services, healthcare (medical & paramedical products, medical supplies, etc.) and ICT. The program of the days, organized with the support of the 'Arab Africa Trade Bridges' program (funded by the ITFC) and the 'Qawafel' program (funded by the AFD), includes the organization of 1,000 business meetings for 100 Tunisian companies with over 25 buyers, importers and distributors. Institutional bodies (TPOs and CCI) from sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea and Burkina Faso, are expected to attend the event. Tunisian companies interested in participating in ABPD 2025 are invited to register via the following link by 2 June 2025: httpss://
African Manager
17-05-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisian companies explore Kenyan market
Seven Tunisian companies specializing in medical equipment and supplies, food supplements, paramedical products, and hospital engineering took part in a business mission to Kenya, organized by the Export Promotion Center (CEPEX) and the Tunisian Embassy in Nairobi from May 14 to 16. According to CEPEX, the mission aimed to increase exports from the health sector to East Africa. It enabled the participating companies to hold strategic meetings with key public institutions in the Kenyan health sector, including the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), the Mission for Essential Medicines and Supplies (MEDS), and the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade). The Tunisian companies also visited public and private hospitals, specialist clinics, and Kenyan distributors. They also participated in the 25th MEDEXPO trade fair, which was held in Nairobi from May 14 to 16. MEDEXPO is one of the largest events dedicated to the medical and pharmaceutical industries in East Africa. This year, it attracted 139 exhibitors from 30 countries, including India, Iran, Turkey and Indonesia. The first day of the show attracted nearly 1,500 trade visitors, primarily regional importers and distributors. A networking event was organized at the Tunisian Residence in Nairobi on the sidelines of the show, bringing together Tunisian companies with around twenty economic and institutional players from the Kenyan medical sector. This provided an opportunity to consolidate relationships, establish the basis for future collaboration, and reinforce Tunisia's image as a strategic regional partner. With over 14,000 healthcare facilities registered in 2022 — a 13% increase over five years — and pharmaceutical imports reaching $793.4 million in 2024 (4% of total imports), Kenya is emerging as a promising market. The country aims to become a regional medical hub and is investing heavily in improving its hospital infrastructure. The business mission to Kenya was conducted with the support of the Qawafel project and the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) program. The 'Qawafel' project, which supports the internationalization of Tunisian start-ups and SMEs on the African continent, is financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The project's main goal is to contribute to job creation and inclusive economic development in Tunisia, as well as its integration into African markets. The AATB program is a multi-donor, multi-country, multi-organization initiative that aims to promote and increase trade and investment between African and Arab countries.
Libya Herald
08-05-2025
- Business
- Libya Herald
LEPC amends 2025 MoU executive programme with Tunisia to increase exports to sub-Saharan Africa
The executive programme for 2025 of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Libya Export Promotion Centre (LEPC) and the Tunisian Export Promotion Centre (Centre de Promotion des Exportations (CEPEX) was reviewed, and some amendments were made and approved last Wednesday 7 May. The action was taken during the meeting on 7 May in Tunisia between Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Development, Samir Obaid, with Mohamed Al-Hangari, Director General of the LEPC, Mourad Ben Hussein, President and Director General of the CEPEX, and the Commercial Attaché at the Libyan Embassy in Tunisia, Youssef Tantoush, in the presence of the directors of departments and offices of the two centers. Supporting exports to the African market The meeting discussed strengthening the mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries in supporting exports to the African market, and during the meeting, many steps were put forward that can be worked on during the rest of this year to ''head to Africa, take a place for Libyan-Tunisian products in it, and open the door for export through COMESA''. MoU amended and resigned The executive programme for 2025 of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two centers was reviewed, and some amendments were made and approved by the directors of the two centers in line with the LEPC's strategy adopted by the Director General in supporting exporters and the needs of Tunisia and Libya to actually enter the African market.
African Manager
22-04-2025
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia issues over 200 certificates of origin under AfCFTA
As part of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Tunisia has issued between 200 and 300 certificates of origin for the export of local products to several African countries. According to Chawki Jaballi, Head of Customs Capacity Building and Training at the AfCFTA secretariat, this is a satisfactory figure given the obstacles encountered on the continent. A certificate of origin is an official document confirming the country in which a product was manufactured, processed or handled. This certificate is essential for the customs clearance process, as it proves the origin of the product when it enters the importing country. Thanks to this document, exporters can benefit from reduced customs duties'. This mechanism should be strengthened with the progressive implementation of the AfCFTA, allowing for the elimination of customs duties by January 2026,' he adds. According to the Export Promotion Center (CEPEX), Tunisia has untapped potential in terms of exports to the African continent, estimated at around $1.2 billion. Despite ongoing efforts, Tunisia's exports to certain key African markets remain limited and this potential remains largely untapped. The geographical areas with the greatest export potential for Tunisia are North Africa, with an estimated potential of $754 million, West Africa, with around $270 million, and East Africa, with a potential of $94 million. Tunisia's further integration into this continental market could open up new opportunities for Tunisian exporters, particularly in the textile, agro-food, chemical and construction materials sectors, which are already areas of expertise for the country. By creating a single market of 1.3 billion consumers and a combined GDP of $3,400 billion, the AfCFTA aims to increase intra-African trade by 53%. In addition, the initiative is expected to increase industrial output by $1,000 billion, reduce poverty for 50 million people and create up to 14 million additional jobs by 2030.
