The export prospects of natural ingredients for the cosmetics industry produced in Tunisia and destined for the Italian market were the focus of a webinar entitled "Tunisian Natural Ingredients for the Cosmetics Industry". The event was organised by the Milan office of the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) in collaboration with the Project for Market Access of Typical Agrofood Products (PAMPAT). CEPEX announced on Thursday that this webinar, held in collaboration with the Italian Cosmetic Association (Cosmetica Italia) and attended by around thirty of its members, aimed to promote the quality of ingredients grown and processed in Tunisia for the cosmetics industry. Essential oils, vegetable oils and floral waters are of particular interest. During the event, CEO of CEPEX, Mourad Ben Hassine, underlined the qualities and virtues of Tunisian ingredients, which have every opportunity to further establish themselves in the Italian cosmetics supply chain. On the Tunisian side, Chedly Belkhodja, President of the Chamber of Producers of Essential Oils and Floral Waters of Tunisia, and Haifa Benabid, representative of the National Association for Cactus Development, discussed the specificities of Tunisia, known for its fertile soil and Mediterranean climate. This makes it possible to grow high-quality natural ingredients that meet the strictest international standards. They confirmed that Tunisian producers are able to supply Italian industrialists with pure, organic and competitive natural ingredients to meet the rapidly evolving cosmetics market. On the Italian side, Fabio Franchina, Vice President of Cosmetica Italia, gave an overview of the characteristics and size of the Italian cosmetics market, which is the fourth largest in Europe. It is expected to reach a consumption turnover of pound 12.4 billion by the end of 2023. In terms of production, the Italian cosmetics industry expects to reach pound 14.8 billion. The Italian representative underlined the commitment of Italian industrialists to incorporate new ingredients, given the importance they attach to R and D and innovation in this field. As a reminder, Italy was Tunisia's main trading partner in 2022, with total trade flows of around TND 21.3 billion. This trend has continued throughout the current year, resulting in a trade surplus in favour of Tunisia.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
