The ACEA project initiated by the United States Embassy in Tunisia has boosted in an extraordinary way the exports of artisanal products to the American market.
Tunisia exported handicrafts to the United States for a total amount of 49 million dinars.
This figure places the American market at the top of the destinations targeted by Tunisian artisans. This performance was achieved thanks to the “Action Collaborative pour les Exportations Artisanales (ACEA)” project, a $6.4 million initiative implemented by FHI 360 and funded by the United States Embassy in Tunisia.
The socio-economic project allowed artisans from disadvantaged regions in particular to develop their skills through collaborative groups and to target new international markets including the American market.
1200 artisans benefited
Joey Hood, US Ambassador to Tunisia, said during his visit to the ArtiCrea fair, which runs from September 9 to 15 at the Kram International Fair and brings together key buyers and influential decision-makers from various sectors of crafts, that an investment of a total envelope of 19 million dinars has made it possible to develop training programs for Tunisian artisans, provide them with work equipment and help them improve their marketing work and networking between them and American buyers.
A total of 1,200 artisans have benefited from these training programs, including more than 800 women. The project has also created more than 800 jobs and attracted investments of 18 million dinars.
The amount of exports to the American market has made a spectacular leap thanks to this initiative, going from 1 million to 49 million dinars in just a few years, representing a 5000% growth, knowing that the American market now accounts for a third of Tunisian exports in this area.
Promoting Tunisian heritage
The US ambassador to Tunisia also considered that the ACEA project is also of major importance for the image of Tunisia and the promotion of the country itself given that all exported products bear the words “Made in Tunisia”.
“This is an opportunity for Americans to discover the Tunisian heritage behind these beautiful products,” he said.
The future prospects are very good according to the American ambassador, explaining that Tunisian craftsmen who export to the American market are only just beginning to scratch the surface.
“There is so much demand that the next challenge is managing demand, particularly ensuring that the selling prices are high enough to reward this beautiful creative work,” he said.
Four groups
The ACEA project has chosen four promising areas represented by four groups. First of all, there is Wikipam, an economic interest group specializing in the production of natural products based on aromatic and medicinal plants.
Then there is Oleart, a group of artisans who are experts in working with Tunisian olive wood. Third, there is Ragma, an economic interest group of women artisans dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Amazigh woven heritage. As for the fourth specialty, it is Barrama, a brand of artisanal pottery handmade by the artisans of the Al-Barrama region.
The American embassy’s initiative therefore affects all regions of the country and particularly capitalizes on the potential of the interior regions to contribute to creating economic dynamics there.
Quality label
This is a common objective with ONAT (National Office of Tunisian Crafts) whose general director, Faouzi Ben Halima, announces that a quality label has been developed and will be implemented soon to encourage Tunisian craftsmen to improve the quality of their products to better meet the requirements of foreign markets.
