How to import from China to Tunisia

What you can import

Most everyday goods can be imported into Tunisia: clothing, shoes, bags, school supplies, kitchenware, home textiles, furniture, lighting, tools and hardware, auto parts, phone accessories and packaging. Tunisia has free trade arrangements with the European Union and several Arab countries but not with China, so Chinese products pay the full customs duty.

Many consumer products are subject to checks before release, and some are restricted or banned.

• Technical import control: a long list of consumer products (electrical appliances, toys, textiles, cosmetics, building materials and more) is checked against Tunisian standards under the Ministry of Commerce before customs releases them.
• Telecom and radio equipment (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS trackers) must be approved by the Centre d'Études et de Recherches des Télécommunications (CERT).
• Food, food contact materials and cosmetics go through health checks by the competent authorities, including the national food safety body (INSSPA).
• Drones, weapons and replicas, counterfeit brands and some used goods are prohibited or need special authorisation. Check with your customs authority for regulated goods.

Customs duty and VAT in Tunisia in 2026

Customs in Tunisia is the Direction Générale des Douanes (Tunisian Customs). Duty depends on the product's tariff code: inputs and equipment are often low or zero, while many finished consumer goods pay around 20% or more on their customs value (goods plus freight and insurance to Tunisia). Some products also carry a consumption duty (droit de consommation).

VAT on imports is generally 19%, with reduced rates of 13% and 7% for certain products, calculated on the customs value plus duties. The Finance Law changes some rates every year, so confirm the rate for your exact product with customs or the tax administration (Direction Générale des Impôts). Small customs formality fees are added.

Low-value parcels: there is no meaningful duty-free threshold for goods imported to resell. Every commercial shipment is declared and taxed, whatever its size.

• To clear goods in your own name you need a registered company, a customs code and a licensed customs broker who files the declaration electronically.
• Customs asks for the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document and the technical control result where it applies.
• Goods that fail technical control can be held or sent back, at the importer's cost.

How DDP delivery removes the hassle

DDP means delivered duty paid. On soorce the price at checkout covers freight from China, clearance through Tunisian customs, the import duty and the VAT. Our logistics partner handles the declaration and delivers to your address, so you do not need to hire a broker or pay an unexpected bill before you can collect your goods.

We check the supplier and inspect your order in China before it ships, so what reaches customs is what you ordered. DDP covers the import. If your product is regulated for sale in Tunisia (an electrical device, a toy or a radio product, for example), those rules still apply, so ask us before you order.

Air or sea freight: which one pays off

Air freight is billed per kilo, and light but bulky cartons are billed on their volume (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000). It suits samples, fashion, phone accessories, small electronics and any product with a high value per kilo, and it is the safer choice when stock must arrive before a deadline such as back-to-school or Eid.

Sea freight is much cheaper per kilo but takes several weeks door to door, and sea lines bill from a minimum weight. It pays off for heavy or bulky goods with a modest value per kilo: furniture, kitchenware, tiles, tools, plastic housewares and packaging.

The box below shows soorce's current door-to-door rates to Tunisia, duties and VAT included, for a few sample weights.

Worked example: 250 school backpacks to Tunis

Say you order 250 children's school backpacks at $5 each, $1,250 of goods, ahead of the September rentrée. Packed in cartons they weigh about 100 kg. The table prices this order with today's door-to-door rates by air and by sea, with Tunisian duty and VAT already included in the shipping line.

Divide the delivered total by 250 to get your landed cost per backpack and compare it with local wholesale. The final weight is confirmed once the goods are packed in China, so the figure can move slightly.

How to order on soorce, step by step

1. Search or browse factory products and open a product page to see the price per piece, the minimum quantity and the delivered price to Tunisia.
2. Add the quantities you need to your cart. Orders start from 100 pieces or $1,000; a smaller order can be sent as a request and our team will tell you whether it can go ahead.
3. At checkout choose air or sea, enter your delivery address in Tunisia and pay securely online at checkout. Prices are in US dollars.
4. We confirm the order with the factory, check the supplier and inspect the goods before they leave China, and send you photos if anything is wrong.
5. The shipment is cleared through Tunisian customs with duty and VAT paid and delivered to your door. You can follow every stage from your account.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting that Chinese goods get no trade preference: compare your landed cost, not the factory price, with local prices.
• Ordering products on the technical control list without checking the Tunisian standard they must meet.
• Bringing in drones or radio gadgets without CERT approval.
• Shipping bulky, light goods by air and paying for volume instead of weight.
• Ordering seasonal stock late: sea freight takes weeks, so plan back-to-school and Ramadan well ahead.

Preguntas frecuentes

Páginas relacionadas

• Envío a Tunisia con soorce
• Tarifas de envío a todos los países
• Cómo funciona soorce, del pedido a la entrega
• Explorar Bags and backpacks
• Explorar Home and kitchen
• Explorar Clothing
• Explorar Tools and hardware