G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1  
G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
14 March  2017 
(17-1472) Page: 1/6 
Working Party on State Trading Enterprises  Original:  French  
 
  STATE TRADING  
NEW AND FULL NOTIFICATION  PURSUANT TO ARTICLE XVII:4(A)  OF 
THE GATT 1994 AND P ARAGRAPH 1 OF THE UNDERSTANDING  
ON THE INTERPRETATION OF ARTICLE XVII  
TUNISIA  
Supplement  
The following communication, dated 3 March 2 017, is being circulated at the  request of the 
Permanent Mission of Tunisia.  
 
_______________  
 
 
NATIONAL EDIBLE OILS BOARD (ONH)  
 
I. STATE TRADING ENTERP RISE  
 
Trade name:  National Edible Oils Board (ONH)  
Products covered:   Refined seed oils : Soyabean 1507100 ; Palm oil 1511909 ; Olive oil  1509100 . 
 
II. REASONS FOR MAINTAIN ING A STATE TRADING ENTERPRISE  
 
The ONH is a State enterprise constituted as a non -administrative public establishment, 
the organization and functioning of which were laid down by Decree -Law No. 70-13 of 
16 October  1970. 
 
It was created and is maintained in order to implement the State's policy on the following 
in particular:  
 
 Protecting the country 's interests in relation to the production, promotion and export of 
olive oil, which is of great social and economic importanc e to Tunisia.  
 Ensur ing the country's supply of refined seed oil for consumption.  
The Decree -Law under which the ONH was created and is maintained provides for State control 
exercised through the Ministry of Agriculture.  
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE F UNCTIONING OF THE ENTERPRISE  
 
As a State enterprise, the ONH assists olive oil producers, promotes the olive oil sector and 
regulates the market by purchasing and exporting a limited quantity , not exceeding 8 % of 
domestic production over the period 2011 -2014, through  a subsidiary of the ONH created at the 
end of 2009 as the National Oil Exports Board (ONHE).  
 G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1 • G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
- 2 - 
  Since the enactment of the Law of 2 4 February 1 994, the ONH has no longer had the monopoly o f 
sales of edible oils granted to it under the Decree -Law of 1 6 Octob er 1970, except for the export of 
a tariff quota of olive oil to the European Union market, which it was granted by Decree 
No. 94-1166 of 2 3 May 1 994. 
 
Under Decree No. 2001-1523 of 2 5 June 2 001, private exporters may export organic Tunisian olive 
oil and bottled olive oil within the quota.  
 
Similarly, since 2005, specific decrees have enabled private traders, regardless of the level of 
production, to export oil in bulk within the quota as from the month of January, as is the case 
for 2016.  
 
The olive oil m arket is free in Tunisia and there is free competition between private operators and 
the ONH.  The latter 's presence in the market does not lead to any distortion of market 
mechanisms.  The reason for its existence is to regulate the market and protect domes tic producers 
if there is a drop in demand.  
 
The State entrusts the ONH with buying up seed oil for consumption at lower prices determined by 
the State using  a subsidy granted under the State 's budget.  Edible oils may be freely imported and 
sold with the e xception of the seed oil purchased by the ONH, which receives a subsidy.  
 
The volume of local or imported purchases of seed oil  is not determined in advance , but since the 
introduction of quotas for sale on the domestic market in order to rationalize the c onsumption of 
subsidized oils, the annual volume of purchases  has been better controlled . 
 
In conformity with its responsibility to ensure a regular supply, the ONH resorts to purchases 
through international calls for tenders for short -term commercial cont racts.  Tendering and 
procurement procedures comply with the competition rules under the government procurement 
regulations in force.  
 
Following the start -up of a private soyabean crushing company in Tunisia, with capacity to produce 
around 80,000 tonnes of soyabean oil annually, in 2011 the Government decided to include this 
company in the list of potential suppliers of unrefined soyabean oil to the ONH through 
participation in calls for tenders under the same rules and terms as foreign suppliers.  
 
IV. STAT ISTICAL TABLES  
   
  G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1 • G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
- 3 - 
 
TABLE I  
STATE TRADING : NATIONAL EDIBLE OILS BOARD (ONH)  
STATISTICAL INFORMAT ION, IMPORTS  
2010-2014 crop year  
Description of 
product(s) and  
HS number(s)  Crop year  
(November
-October)  Total 
volume 
imported  Volume 
imported by the 
State trading  
enterprise 
(tonnes)  Average 
import price  
(D/metric 
tonne)  Average 
representative 
domestic 
sales price 
(D/metric 
tonne)  Mark -up Domestic 
production  
1507.100  
Soyabean oil  2010 -2011  - 141,822  1,698  752 - 60,000  
2011 -2012  - 109,049  1,849  752 - 80,000  
2012-2013  - 80,093  1,836  752 - 80,000  
2013 -2014  - 111,282  1,566  752 - 80,000  
1511.909  
Palm oil  2010 -2011  - 26,237  1,695  752 - 0 
2011 -2012  - 30,487  1,805  752 - 0 
2012 -2013  - 31,201  1,485  752 - 0 
2013 -2014  - 24,906  1,472  752 - 0 
   
  G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1 • G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
- 4 - 
 
TABLE II  
STATE TRADI NG: NATIONAL OIL EXPORTS BOARD (ONH SUBSIDIAR Y) 
STATISTICAL INFORMAT ION, EXPORTS  
2011-2014  
Description of 
product(s) and 
HS number(s)  Crop year  
(January -
December)  Total 
volume 
exported  Volume exported 
by the State 
trading 
enterprise 
(tonnes)   Average purc hase 
price  (D/metric 
tonne)  Average 
representative 
domestic sales 
price (D/metric 
tonne)  Average export 
price (D/metric 
tonne)  Domestic 
production  
1509.100  
Olive oil  2011  - 5,181  3,399  - 3,846  120,000  
2012  - 12,310  3,112  - 3,415  182,000  
2013  - 7,715  4,872 - 5,457  220,000  
2014  - 2,565  5,688  - 5,475  70,000  
   
  G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1 • G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
- 5 - 
 
TABLE III  
STATE TRADING : NATIONAL EDIBLE OILS BOARD (ONH)  
STATISTICAL INFORMAT ION, DOMESTIC ACTIVI TIES 
2010-2014 crop year  
Description of 
product(s) and  
HS number(s)  Crop year  
(November -
October)  Domestic 
purchases by the 
State trading 
enterprise (tonnes)  Domestic 
production 
(tonnes ) Domestic 
sales by the 
State trading 
enterprise 
(tonnes)  Domestic 
consumption 
(D/metric 
tonne)  
1507.100  
Soyabean oil  2010 -2011  0 60,000 148,330 - 
2011 -2012  41,642  80,000 146,473  - 
2012 -2013  73,164  80,000  155,490  - 
2013 -2014  58,862  80,000  155,376  - 
1511.909  
Palm oil  2010 -2011  - - 26,000  - 
2011 -2012  - - 25,500  - 
2012 -2013  - - 30,000  - 
2013 -2014  - - 28,000  - 
   
  G/STR/N/15/TUN/Suppl.1 • G/STR/N/16/TUN/Suppl.1  
- 6 - 
 
 
TABLE III  
STATE TRADING : NATIONAL OIL EXPORTS BOA RD (ONH SUBSIDIARY)  
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES  
2011-2014  
Description of 
product(s) and 
HS number(s)  Crop year  
(January -December ) Domestic 
purchases by 
the State 
trading 
enterprise 
(tonnes)  Domestic 
production 
(tonnes ) 
 Domestic sales 
by the State 
trading 
enterprise 
(tonnes)  
 Domestic 
consumption 
(D/metric tonne)  
1509.100 
Olive oil  2011  4,678  120,000  13 - 
2012  11,801  182,000  378 - 
2013  8,405  220,000  178 - 
2014  5,655  70,000  118 - 
 
 
__________