Competitivness of tunisia's export oriented industries

This paper examines the international competitive performance of Tunisia's export of goods and merchandise, using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) under six selected years: 1996, 2003, 2010, 2011 (Arab Spring), 2015 and 2023. In addition, the analysis zooms in on the specific Top 20 export products of Tunisia as listed in table 1 according to the 2023 RCA value, benchmarking Tunisia's performance with respect to a set of five comparator countries Morocco, Egypt, Spain, Italy and Turkey applying the same product set to guarantee cross-country comparability. Using data from UNCTADstat RCA tables, the study uses statistical tools like bar charts, line graphs, and heatmaps to present RCA trends in the long run. Results show that the Tunisian economy preserved strong comparative advantages in some sectors such as textile and footwear, vegetable oils and mechanical products, although there was significant volatility from one year to the next. The nation presented strong competition in many products MENA peers but strong EU competitive forces. Gaps in labor skills, shortage of innovation, pressures from foreign trade and political instability influence the dynamics of RCA. The study uses Porter's Diamond Model to understand Tunisia's competitive situation, and suggests focused policy prescriptions to improve its sectoral resilience and innovation capabilities. Results from this study can be used to inform policy makers and industry in more targeted planning for export and industrial policy. Structural and institutional issues that must be tackled to maintain competitiveness in global markets are also identified. The study ends with policy implications that suggest deeper GVCs integration and better support high-RCA sectors subject to weak data coverage, and suggests areas for further research. Keywords: Tunisia exports; Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA); international competitiveness; export performance; Porter's Diamond Model; global value chains (GVCs); industrial policy.