British-Tunisian trade is on an upward trend (see table below) and
co-operation is actively promoted by government agencies in both
London and Tunis. A series of initiatives over the past two years are
now beginning to bear fruit; the first six months of 2001 saw Tunisian
exports to Britain increase by more than 30 per cent. About 40 major
British companies are now established in Tunisia headed by British Gas
and including Lee Cooper, Coats Viyella and Gossard (Courtaulds
Group). Many more British firms are expressing an interest, Tunisia's
Foreign Investment Promotion Agency reports. Generally, the countries
of the European Union (EU) dominate Tunisia's external trade,
accounting for 78 per cent of the country's exports and supplying 72
per cent of imports, according to latest EU figures. Tunisia's leading
European trade partners in both imports and exports are France,
Germany, Italy and Belgium.
|
