Investing in Tunisia’s cosmetics industry: opportunities, key figures and entry models in 2026

Yes, investing in Tunisia’s cosmetics industry in 2026 can be justified: the sector is structured, export-oriented, and its plant wealth is showcased at international trade shows. However, you have to deal with local taxation that manufacturers criticise and with the regulatory requirements specific to each destination market. Whether the project makes sense therefore depends on the chosen entry model and the target countries.

This guide brings together reconciled, dated figures, the country’s strengths, the context of foreign investment in 2026, a comparison of factory, contract manufacturing and brand, the obstacles, and then a roadmap. It is for information only: check every point against the official texts, the FIPA and the APII. See also our investment and e-commerce articles.

How big is the Tunisian cosmetics sector in 2026?

According to La Presse (March 2025), the cosmetics and perfume sector in Tunisia has about 774 companies and nearly 7,600 jobs, crafts included. Its exports reached about 225 million dinars at the end of 2024. According to WMC (January 2026), an official from the Ministry of Industry mentioned 270 MD.

These figures are published by the Tunisian business press and are dated. They come from two different issuers, almost a year apart, and do not necessarily cover the same scope. The table below brings them together with their source and date, so that you can cite them without mixing them up.

The local integration rate is an indicator that expresses, in general terms, the share of a product’s value created locally rather than imported. The sources do not detail how it is calculated: treat it as an order of magnitude, not as a precise measure of the supply chain.

For an investor, these data outline an established sector, export-oriented and backed by a specialised distribution network. The number of parapharmacies points to an organised domestic market, useful for testing a range before targeting foreign markets. The gaps between the two series of figures (number of companies, amount of exports) call for a careful reading, detailed in the next section.

Why do sector figures differ between sources?

Published figures on Tunisian cosmetics differ first because they do not cover the same period, and probably because they do not cover the same scope, which the sources do not specify. La Presse counts about 774 companies in March 2025. An official from the Ministry of Industry quoted by WMC mentions 60 in January 2026. Before using a figure, check its date, its scope and its issuer.

The statistical scope is the set of activities and companies that a figure takes into account. La Presse states that its jobs include crafts. The statement reported by WMC refers only to “the perfume and cosmetics sector”, with no further detail on scope.

“the perfume and cosmetics sector, which comprises 60 companies generating 7,600 jobs, achieved an estimated export volume of 270 MD” (WMC, January 2026).

The two sources give a similar number of jobs, but a very different number of companies. One possible reading is that they do not count the same companies, but neither says so. This hypothesis therefore remains to be confirmed.

The period raises the same question. The La Presse amount relates to the end of 2024. The 270 MD amount comes from a January 2026 statement, with no reference year given. Reading the gap as measured growth would therefore be risky.

For an investment file, ask the APII and the CEPEX for consolidated data, specifying the scope and the year you want. Then cite each figure with its issuer and date, as in the previous table.

What strengths does Tunisia offer cosmetics investors?

Tunisia highlights three cosmetics strengths: its flora, its costs and its market access. According to La Presse (April 2026), the country has nearly 2,000 species of medicinal and aromatic plants. La Presse also links the quality of Tunisian products to controlled production costs. According to WMC (January 2026), the country has privileged access to European and Arab markets.

These strengths are presented by the business press and public authorities. They describe a potential, not a guaranteed return. The detail below takes up each argument with its source.

• An abundant plant resource: according to La Presse (April 2026), this flora supplies natural ingredients, essential oils and plant extracts.
• Encouraged valorisation: according to WMC, efforts aim to add value to aromatic plants such as rosemary.
• A quality-to-cost ratio: La Presse sees it as a way to position the country on the targeted markets.
• Supportive demand: according to La Presse, the global context is marked by strong growth in demand for natural cosmetics.

International presence completes these arguments. According to La Presse, Tunisia took part for the third consecutive time in the in-cosmetics Global show in Paris. This type of national pavilion is generally run by public export support bodies, such as the CEPEX. More than 30 B2B meetings were scheduled there, according to La Presse.

A B2B meeting is a business appointment organised between professionals, here between exhibitors, buyers and distributors. For an investor, these appointments offer a first contact with concrete outlets.

For a brand, the plant resource can translate into locally sourced ingredients: olive oil, prickly pear seed oil, rosemary or neroli. Market access is then tested in the field. Oppenheimer Lab, based in Tunisia, exports to more than 30 countries. To prepare your target markets, see our guides to cosmetics export.

What is the foreign investment context in Tunisia in 2026?

According to Plumes Économiques (October 2026), Tunisia attracted nearly 2 billion dinars of foreign direct investment in the first half of 2026. For a cosmetics project, the applicable framework (regimes, benefits, fully export-oriented company status) should be checked with the FIPA and the APII. This framework changes and depends on each project.

What does the FDI situation say for the first half of 2026?

A foreign direct investment (FDI) is a capital contribution by which a foreign investor creates, acquires or develops a lasting business in a country. According to Plumes Économiques, this flow reached nearly 2 billion dinars over the first half of 2026. This amount indicates a general trend. On its own, it does not measure the attractiveness specific to cosmetics.

The sector context provides additional elements. According to WMC (January 2026), the Ministry of Industry says it supports the parapharmaceutical sector through several levers. According to La Presse (March 2025), the concerted adaptation of the regulatory framework aims in particular to help local companies turn to international markets.

Which bodies should you approach for the investment framework?

The fully export-oriented company is a status intended for companies that mainly sell their output abroad. Its conditions and benefits depend on the texts in force: do not build them into your financing plan before having them confirmed in writing.

• The FIPA: entry point for foreign investors, to understand the regimes applicable to your project.
• The APII: contact for declaring an industrial project and for set-up procedures.
• The CEPEX: export support, useful for identifying trade shows and target markets.
• The Ministry of Industry: supervisory authority of the sector and source of regulatory guidance.

This section is for information only. Before any decision, confirm the regime, the benefits and the obligations with these official bodies.

Factory, contract manufacturing or brand: which entry model should you choose?

There are three ways to enter the Tunisian cosmetics market: build your own factory, outsource manufacturing to an existing laboratory, or launch a brand using private label formulas or formulas developed as custom private label. The choice depends on available capital, target timeline, desired level of control and targeted markets.

The three models do not involve the same capital or the same responsibilities. The table below compares them qualitatively. The timelines given for contract manufacturing and brand are those of Oppenheimer Lab, given as a guide.

Setting up your own production unit

Your own production unit gives complete control over processes, stock and scheduling. In return, it requires high capital, qualified teams and a quality system compliant with good manufacturing practice, such as ISO 22716. National authorisations should be checked with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry. This model mainly suits a long-term industrial project.

Outsourcing manufacturing to a laboratory

Cosmetic contract manufacturing means entrusting the formulation, manufacturing or filling and packaging of your products to a third-party laboratory. You thus avoid industrial investment while keeping control of the specification. Before committing, ask your laboratory for its quality standard (ISO 22716 / GMP), its production capacity and its minimum quantity per item.

To compare offers, see our page on cosmetic contract manufacturing and production and our cosmetic contract manufacturing file.

Launching a brand under private label or custom private label

Private label is a product whose formula already exists at the laboratory and which you sell under your own brand. Custom private label is a product whose formula is adapted or developed for a given brand. Oppenheimer Lab offers more than 500 available formulas, a useful starting point to limit timeline and budget, with small batches negotiable, from 100 to 200 units. The price depends on the product, the actives and the packaging: free quote, reply within 48 hours.

Take a typical example: a Tunisian entrepreneur launches her first skincare brand sold online. She starts with a single item, a 50 ml facial moisturising cream, from an existing formula that is already validated. For 1,000 units, a schedule of about 12 weeks is realistic, provided the packaging is available, approvals are quick and checks are satisfactory. A fully custom formulation would require a different schedule.

To go further, discover our ready-to-launch private label formulas and our articles private label and custom private label explained.

What regulatory requirements apply to selling in Tunisia and for export?

Manufacturing in Tunisia does not exempt you from the rules of the destination market. For the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires, among other things, a Responsible Person established in the EU, a product information file with a safety assessment, compliant labelling and a CPNP notification before placing on the market. Each country of sale applies its own requirements.

A question often comes up in our exchanges: “If my product is made in Tunisia, can I sell it directly in France?” Our answer is simple: compliance is built for the targeted market. We therefore recommend setting your sales countries from the brief, so as to prepare the corresponding documents and packaging. For the Tunisian market, enquire with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry.

What is needed to sell in the European Union?

The Responsible Person is the operator established in the EU who answers for the compliance of the product placed on the market. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 frames its obligations through several articles:

• Article 4: designation of the Responsible Person.
• Article 8: manufacturing in line with good manufacturing practice (GMP).
• Article 10: safety assessment, formalised in the CPSR, the cosmetic product safety report.
• Article 11: compilation of the PIF, the Product Information File.
• Article 13: notification on the CPNP, the European cosmetic products notification portal.
• Article 19: labelling, including the list of ingredients in INCI nomenclature.

The CPNP notification is neither an authorisation nor a quality certification: it declares the product before it is marketed. Oppenheimer Lab prepares its clients’ PIFs and CPNP notifications.

Imagine, as a typical example, a young French brand launching a short range of facial care. It chooses to manufacture in Tunisia to talk with the technical team in French, for geographical proximity and for an offer suited to its starting volumes. Its decision rests on concrete elements: quality of samples, available documentation, delivered cost and reliability of the schedule.

Which good manufacturing practices should you require?

ISO 22716 is the standard for cosmetics good manufacturing practice, the reference for meeting Article 8 of the European regulation. Oppenheimer Lab manufactures to ISO 22716 / GMP and provides the complete history of a batch within 24 hours. COSMOS, Ecocert, Vegan and Halal certifications are available on request. Whichever partner you choose, ask for these elements before signing.

This section is for information only: refer to the official text of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and see our cosmetics regulation and quality articles.

What risks and obstacles should you anticipate before investing?

The main documented obstacle is tax. According to La Presse (February 2025), cosmetics in Tunisia have been subject since 2018 to a 25% consumption duty on top of 19% VAT. The local manufacturer pays it on its selling price, the importer on its purchase price.

The consumption duty is an indirect tax applied to certain products, which is added to VAT. La Presse illustrates the gap with a cream sold at 10 dinars excluding tax: the imported version bears 26% of taxes in total.

“The total taxes imposed on the locally made product amount to 4.994 dinars, or 50% taxation” (La Presse, February 2025).

This article relays the point of view of manufacturers in the sector. This obstacle concerns first of all a project targeting the domestic market. For an export-oriented activity, have the applicable tax treatment confirmed with the competent departments and the FIPA.

The situation may change. According to La Presse (March 2025), professionals and the Ministry of Industry mentioned an adaptation of the regulatory framework.

Other risks relate to project preparation:

• Inconsistent data: base your market study on dated figures with a known scope.
• Country-specific requirements: each destination market imposes its own labelling, file and notification rules.
• Development lead times: a custom formula, specific packaging or additional tests lengthen the schedule.
• Distribution channels to check: favour identified distributors and channels that ensure the traceability of your products.

What roadmap for investing step by step in Tunisian cosmetics?

A roadmap for cosmetics investment in Tunisia follows six steps: define the sales markets, choose the entry model, check the investment framework with the official bodies, secure regulatory compliance, set the distribution channel, then launch a limited first batch before expanding. Each step reduces risk before committing more capital.

A roadmap is an action plan that orders a project’s decisions and sets what must be validated before moving to the next step. A cosmetics project benefits from following this order:

1. Choose your sales countries: settle this list before any development, as it determines the files, labelling and packaging to plan for.
2. Select an entry model: factory, contract manufacturing, private label or custom private label, depending on your capital, your timeline and the control you want.
3. Have the investment framework validated: ask the FIPA and the APII about the suitable status, notably that of fully export-oriented company, and obtain written confirmation of the benefits.
4. Secure compliance: good manufacturing practice, PIF, safety assessment and notification for each targeted market.
5. Set the distribution channel: parapharmacy, distributor or online sales; this choice determines the selling price, the packaging and the marketing budget.
6. Test with a first batch: a launch batch is a limited production run that lets you measure demand before expanding the range or volumes.

Online sales are a distribution channel that lets a brand sell directly to its customers, without a physical intermediary. Our advice: before developing, define precisely your customers, your selling price and your channel. Start with one or two well-positioned products, keep budget to market them, then expand the range based on customer feedback.

Timing matters too. Our clients’ requests follow the seasons: mostly sun care products in summer, moisturising care and solutions for oily skin in winter. We recommend anticipating these peaks by several months in your development and production schedule.

For the launch batch, Oppenheimer Lab considers small batches, from 200 units, or even 100 depending on the project, and offers 48-hour delivery within Tunisia. The laboratory has supported more than 50 brands and replies to quote requests within 48 working hours. You can request a quote for your cosmetics project as soon as your markets, your entry model and your channel are defined.

To go deeper, the steps to launch your cosmetics brand detail how to build the offer, and our guides to selling cosmetics online cover launching through e-commerce. The Export, Cosmetic contract manufacturing and Private label and custom private label sections complete the other decisions in this guide. This content remains for information only: confirm each choice with the official texts and the competent bodies.

Sources

• Industrie des cosmétiques : Vers une évolution réglementaire pour un meilleur accès aux marchés (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 6 March 2025
• Parapharmaceutique : 270 MD d’exportations pour les parfums et cosmétiques tunisiens (in French), WMC (Webmanagercenter), 23 January 2026
• Industrie cosmétique : la Tunisie mise sur Paris pour accélérer ses exportations (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 15 April 2026
• Investissements directs étrangers : la Tunisie attire près de 2 milliards de dinars au premier semestre 2026 (in French), Plumes Économiques, October 2026
• Cosmétiques en Tunisie : Une fiscalité inéquitable qui pénalise l’industrie locale (in French), La Presse de Tunisia, 7 February 2025