• Tunisia has issued between 200 and 300 certificates of origin for African exports

• The documents will help companies access lower tariffs under the free trade deal starting in 2026.

• Tunisia still has $1.2 billion in untapped export potential across Africa, mainly in North and West Africa.

Tunisia issued between 200 and 300 certificates of origin for shipping locally made products to other African countries, the AfCFTA Secretariat said on April 16.

“This is a promising figure, especially given the challenges many countries are facing in this area,” said Chawki Jaballi, head of training and capacity building on customs matters at the AfCFTA Secretariat. He spoke during a regional workshop aimed at helping approved businesses better understand trade facilitation rules under the deal.

Certificates of origin are official documents that confirm where a product was made or processed. They are often required by customs authorities in importing countries to qualify for trade benefits like reduced tariffs.

These certificates will become even more valuable starting January 1, 2026, when tariffs are expected to be gradually eliminated for goods traded between African countries under the AfCFTA agreement.

The AfCFTA is a major initiative to create a single market of 1.3 billion people across the continent, with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. The trade zone is expected to increase intra-African trade by 53%, add $1 trillion in value to Africa’s industrial output, lift 50 million people out of poverty, and create 14 million new jobs, according to World Bank projections.

Still, Tunisia has a lot of room to grow. The country has an estimated $1.2 billion in untapped export potential across Africa, according to the Export Promotion Center (CEPEX). Most of this opportunity lies in North Africa (about $754 million), followed by West Africa (around $270 million), and East Africa (roughly $94 million).