Dans le cadre de la coopération économique et commerciale Tuniso-Canadienne, le Ministère du Commerce et du Développement des Exportations informe tous les exportateurs que les autorités Canadiennes ont décidé de réinscrire la Tunisie, à compter du 1er janvier 2025, au sein de l’initiative canadienne relative au Programme de Tarif de Préférence Général TPG, qui annule ou réduit les droits de douane sur les produits Tunisiens exportés vers le marché Canadien. Les vêtements, chaussures et certains matériels agricoles sont exclus de la liste des produits concernés.
Le déficit commercial s’est résorbé, en 2020, de 6678,4 millions de dinars(MD) pour s’établir à un niveau de -12757,8 MD contre -19436,2 MD en 2019, selon une note sur le » Commerce extérieur aux prix courants décembre 2020 » publiée, mardi, par l’Institut national de la statistique(INS).
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Il y est précisé que cette réduction est due à une baisse plus forte au niveau des importations (-18,7%) et celui des exportations de (-11,7%).
D’après l’INS, le déficit de la balance commerciale de 12757,8 MD est expliqué en grande partie par le déficit enregistré avec certains pays, tels que la Chine (-5393,8 MD), la Turquie (-2140,6 MD), l’Algérie (-1719,5 MD), la Russie (-1007,1 MD) et l’Italie (-798,4 MD).
En revanche, le solde des échanges de marchandises a enregistré, en 2020, un excédent avec d’autres pays principalement avec la France (3515,9 MD), l’Allemagne (1217 MD) et la Libye (1096,3 MD).
Selon le régime, les échanges commerciaux sont déficitaires sous le régime général de -23760,9 MD (-31249,2 MD en 2019). Toutefois, ils sont excédentaires sous le régime offshore de 11003,1 MD (+11813 MD en 2019).
Hors énergie, le déficit de la balance commerciale s’est réduit à -8557,3MD et le déficit de la balance énergétique s’est établi à -4200,5 MD (soit un tiers du déficit total) contre -7756,4 MD en 2019.
Le taux de couverture a gagné, ainsi, 5,9 points par rapport à l’année 2019 pour s’établir à 75,2% contre 69,3% en 2019.
Baisse des exportations, en 2020, de 11,7%
Durant l’année 2020, les exportations ont enregistré une baisse de (-11,7%) contre une hausse de (+7%) durant l’année 2019. Elles ont atteint le niveau de 38705,9 MD contre 43855,4 MD en 2019.
Ce repli observé concerne plusieurs secteurs. En effet, le secteur des textiles, habillement et cuirs s’est contracté de (-13,8%), celui des industries mécaniques et électriques de (-14%), celui de l’énergie de (-9,4%) et celui des mines, phosphates et dérivés de (-24,4%).
En revanche, le secteur de l’agriculture et des industries agro-alimentaires a enregistré une hausse de (+12%), suite à l’augmentation des ventes d’huile d’olive (2299,7 MD contre 1386,9 MD).
Les exportations tunisiennes vers l’Union Européenne (74,2% du total des exportations) se sont contractées de (-11,3%). Cette régression est expliquée d’une part, par la baisse des exportations tunisiennes vers certains partenaires européens, tels que la France (- 20,8%), l’Allemagne (-15,2%) et l’Italie (- 8%), d’autre part, par la hausse des ventes vers d’autres pays notamment l’Espagne (+37,2%) et la Belgique (+4,3%).
En destination des pays arabes, les exportations ont diminué avec l’Algérie (- 28,8%), la Libye (-20,5%) et l’Egypte (- 13,4%)
Baisse des importations de 18,7%
Les importations ont enregistré, en 2020, une baisse de (-18,7%) contre une hausse de (+5,5%) durant l’année 2019. En valeur, les importations ont atteint 51463,7 MD contre 63291,6 MD en 2019.
Cette diminution est due à la baisse enregistrée au niveau des importations des biens d’équipement de (-24,6%), des matières premières et demi- produits de (-14,5%), des biens de consommation de (-13,8%) et de l’énergie (- 37,2%) sous l’effet de la contraction des achats des produits raffinés (3376,6 MD contre 6416,2 MD) et de gaz naturel (2129,1 MD contre 3691,6 MD). Pour ce qui est des importations, les échanges commerciaux des biens avec l’Union Européenne (49,9% du total des importations) ont enregistré une baisse de (-21,4%) pour s’établir à 25671,8 MD. Les importations ont diminué, en provenance de la France (-26,6%), de l’Italie (-25%) et de l’Allemagne (-16,8%).
The procedural phases relating to the defense against unfair
import practices are defined as follows:
Presentation of a request from a national industry or instruction from the Minister responsible for trade.
Notification of admissibility of the file:
Check whether the file is complete or not.
Carry out a preliminary examination: verify the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided. Check the condition of representativeness of the applicant
Motion requiring preliminary examination
Sufficient evidence and conditions fulfilled, therefore, initiation of an investigation after advice from the Ministry of Trade. Possibility of imposition of provisional anti-dumping or countervailing duties.
Publication in the J.O.R.T of the decision to open investigation/ Provisional measures taken.OMC notification. Sending inquiries to foreign parties.
Verification of information provided by foreign parties. Investigative operations with the possibility of making site visits and hearings.
Negative preliminary examination
File classification. OMC notification.
Imposition of anti-dumping or countervailing duties. OMC notification. Publication in the J.O.R.T. Monitoring of the application of the measures taken.
Termination of the investigation in case of insufficient evidence concerning the increased imports and their detrimental effects on local production
Notification of the OMC, Publication in the J.O.R.T
Subsidy is the granting of a benefit to a foreign exporter by the government of the exporting country in the form of a financial contribution that confers a benefit measured against generally applicable trading standards and normal market conditions.
The financial contribution can take one of the following forms:
A direct transfer of funds (for example a donation, a loan, equity participation)
A potential direct transfer of funds or liabilities (e.g. a loan guarantee),
Public revenues that are normally payable are abandoned or not collected (example: tax credits),
Supplies of goods or services other than general infrastructure, or purchase of goods by public authorities
Income or price support
Conditions for considering the subsidy as an unfair import practice
For the subsidy as defined above to be considered an unfair import practice, it must be “specific”, i.e. reserved for certain companies or when its granting is not subject to objective criteria or that these criteria, despite their existence, are not respected.
Calculation of the subsidy amount
The amount of the subsidy is calculated by making a comparison between the conditions on which the public authorities make the financial contribution and the conditions which the beneficiary could obtain on the market. Next, it is necessary to quantify the amount of the subsidy, per unit or ad valorem, i.e. the amount attributable to the product under investigation.
The imposition of countervailing duties can only be applied on the basis of an investigation which has found that the imports in question are subsidized and are causing damage to the domestic industry producing a like product. The damage determination is based on the following positive evidence:
Countervailing duty investigations must cease immediately in cases where the amount of subsidy is de minimis or where the volume of subsidized imports is negligible.
<0% ad valorem
The amount of the subsidy is considered de minimis
Countervailing duties are applied for a maximum period of 5 years when they are definitive and for a period of 4 months subject to extension up to 6 months or 9 months if they are provisional.
Dumping is a Practice which consists of selling a product on the Tunisian market at prices lower than that of the country of origin or country of provenance. To determine the existence of dumping, a comparison must be made between the export price and the normal value of the product in question. The following two tables make it possible to calculate the two values mentioned above.
The dumping margin rate is calculated on the basis of the following formula:
An anti-dumping measure may be applied if the volume of the dumped imports represents
-1%
Imports of the similar product in Tunisia
+1%
The dumping margin rate
Threat of damage
The damage or threat of damage must affect all producers of similar products or producers having a major proportion of domestic production.
Real positive cause and effect relationship
In the same context, it must be shown that there is a real and substantial positive cause and effect relationship between the dumped imports and the damage. This must be based on solid and verifiable evidence distinguishing damage caused by other factors from damage caused by dumped imports.
Threat of significant damage
Threat of damage to a domestic industry means when the introduction of the dumped imports will cause damage to occur imminently.
Measure to reduce the effect of damage
Before the termination of the investigation, provisional duties may be applied when there is a preliminary affirmative determination of the existence of dumping as well as the judgment of the need to apply such a measure to reduce the effect of the damage.
Mesures définitives
At the end of the investigation, the competent authorities within the Ministry of Trade and Export Development may apply definitive measures in the form of anti-dumping duties or acceptance of an undertaking by the foreign exporter to revise its prices and eliminate the effects of the unfair practice.
Import safeguards measures are taken by the the Ministry of Trade and Export Development after consulting with the National Foreign Trade Council. They consist of raising customs duties or applying a quantitative restriction or a tariff quota.
This makes it possible to deal exceptionally and urgently with a massive increase in imports of a given product causing serious injury or the threat of serious injury to a domestic industry that locally manufactures a similar or directly competitive product.
In order to be able to take safeguard measures, it is essential to fulfill the following conditions
The existence of injury must always be based on “positive evidence” and involve an “objective examination” of the following elements:
Actual and potential decrease in turnover, profits, production, market share, productivity.
Reduction in the use of production capacity.
Delay in implementing specific production plans
Delay or abandonment of the extension of the planned facilities or the acquisition of additional machinery by local producers
Order losses
Erosion, compression or gradual deterioration of price
Negative effects on cash flow, inventories and wages
Delay in the creation or establishment of an industry in Tunisia even though feasibility studies have been completed as well as equipment acquisition contracts and credit agreements
Decline in employment
Impossibility of achieving planned targets for increased profits, production, staff, sales, etc.
Market share of local producers is growing at a slower pace than the market growth rate
Inability to raise capital for investment
The procedural phases relating to
import safeguards measures
Presentation of a request from a national industry or instruction from the Minister responsible for trade
Notification of admissibility of the file:
Check whether the file is complete or not.
Carry out a preliminary examination: verify the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided.
Sufficient evidence and conditions fulfilled therefore opening of an investigation after the opinion of the Ministry of Commerce. Possibility of provisional safeguard measures in critical cases.
Insufficient or inaccurate evidence. Legal conditions not fulfilled. In this case, the file is either classified or sent to another department.
Publication of the decision to initiate an investigation/any provisional measures taken in the J.O.R.T. OMC notification. Sending inquiries to foreign parties
Verification of information provided by foreign parties. Investigative operations with possibility of on-site visits and hearings
Institution of safeguards measures, Notification of the OMC, Publication in J.O.R.T, Monitoring of the application of the measures taken
Termination of the investigation in case of insufficient evidence concerning increased imports and their harmful effects on local production
Notification of the OMC, Publication in the J.O.R.T
