Tunisia Container Glass Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Tunisia Container Glass Market Trends and Insights

Rising demand for premium bottled olive oil

Export receipts from olive oil reached EUR 1.159 billion (USD 1.275 billion) in the first seven months of the 2023-24 fiscal year, yet bottles accounted for less than 5% of the shipped volume.^{[2]Ofeoritse Daibo, “As Value of Tunisian Exports Soar, Packaged Olive Oil Struggles,” OLIVEOILTIMES.COM} This mismatch directs immediate upside toward Tunisia container glass market producers as exporters seek value-added formats that capture branding margins at origin. Global awards, including 26 medals at the 2024 New York International Olive Oil Competition, strengthen the case for premium presentation. Organic exports of 32,589 tonnes generated EUR 259 million (USD 285 million), illustrating willingness among importers to pay for quality when backed by traceable packaging. The resulting pull effect increases demand for amber and flint, stimulates the use of cullet, and supports unit price resilience.

Shift toward sustainable packaging in beverages

The 2024 revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive mandates 90% collection for single-use beverage containers by 2029 and a minimum 10% reuse rate by 2030. Tunisia ships 75% of all exports to the EU, so its bottlers must adopt compliant packaging. Refillable glass delivers up to 85% lower cradle-to-grave emissions across five use cycles, according to EU-funded life-cycle studies. The directive, therefore, redirects investment from single-use plastic to multi-trip glass, prompting capacity upgrades in Tunisia's container glass market furnaces, which are tuned for higher mechanical durability. Beverage multinationals with Tunisian co-packing contracts are already piloting deposit-return compatible bottles, encouraging long-term furnace utilization gains.

Expansion of Tunisia’s pharmaceutical fill-finish capacity

Competitive factor costs put Tunisia at the top of the shortlisted sites for regional sterile manufacturing. Electricity costs EUR 0.1066 per kWh, the second-lowest worldwide, while the annual direct labor expense for a skilled operative is EUR 5,250 (USD 5,775), the lowest among benchmarked countries. Drug manufacturers locating fill-finish lines in Greater Tunis require Type I or II glass vials and ampules with tight dimensional tolerances, thereby lifting the average revenue per ton for local producers. Domestic demand is coupled with export shipments to North Africa and Southern Europe, thereby buffering the cyclicality of beverage orders and enhancing product mix diversification in the Tunisian container glass market.

Government recycling targets and EPR schemes

In March 2025, Tunisia enacted a circular economy roadmap that sets up municipal sorting centers in Sfax, Djerba, Siliana, Mahdia, and Gafsa. Extended Producer Responsibility fees and tax rebates reward firms that integrate cullet on a large scale. SOTUVER commissioned a cullet treatment plant in January 2024 that processes post-consumer shards for reuse. A dedicated TND 20 million (USD 6.4 million) fund widens access to low-interest loans for glass recycling ventures, improving feedstock availability and stabilizing furnace batch costs. Rapid cullet absorption also reduces energy per ton of molten glass, moderating exposure to fuel price volatility and enhancing the circular credentials of Tunisia's container glass market output.

Competition from lightweight PET and metal cans

The global oversupply of soda ash kept spot prices erratic in 2024, narrowing the cost spread between glass and PET. Weight advantages enable plastic and aluminum to minimize freight emissions, a metric that European retailers are increasingly tracking within their Scope 3 inventories. Tunisian suppliers must promote refill loop economics, optical clarity, and inertness to offset logistics penalties. Continued R&D on lightweighting glass bottles down by 12% in the past five years, softening the disadvantage, yet cannot fully erase it, placing a ceiling on market share expansion during price spikes.

High natural gas price volatility impacting furnace cost

Although baseline tariffs are low, natural gas fuels 97% of Tunisia’s power generation capacity, exposing glass plants to external shocks. State utility subsidy coverage hovers at 46%, and fiscal pressure could force upward tariff revisions. Volatility complicates cost forecasting for continuous furnaces operating 24/7. Projects that integrate rooftop solar, waste heat recovery, or hybrid oxy-fuel combustion are under trial by leading producers to mitigate this risk. The 600 MW Elmed interconnector to Italy, scheduled for 2028, is expected to diversify grid supply and improve stability. However, until then, energy swings will restrain aggressive capacity ramp-up in the Tunisian container glass market.

Segment Analysis

By End-user: Beverages Drive Volume, Cosmetics Lead Growth

The beverages segment accounted for 59.13% of Tunisia's container glass market size in 2024, as domestic consumers purchased 676 million bottled water units, ranking Tunisia fourth worldwide on a per-capita basis. Public concern over tap water quality sustained this demand, while local breweries, wineries, and soft-drink bottlers contributed steady baseline orders. Exporters shipping wine, harissa, and specialty juices to France and Germany further broadened glass utilization. Despite its dominance, beverage growth moderates as consumption nears saturation, encouraging manufacturers to push refillable bottle schemes and premium niche variants to maintain tonnage.

Cosmetics and personal care, although smaller, are the fastest-growing end-users, with a 3.63% CAGR, driven by contract manufacturing for European brands seeking cost-efficient yet EU-proximate supply chains. Flawless flint bottles and droppers appeal to skincare lines, while amber jars protect light-sensitive creams and serums. Tunisian exhibitors at Spain’s Hispack 2024 packaging trade fair fielded strong inquiries for dual-decoration flint flacons, signaling durable demand momentum. Rising e-commerce in North Africa also supports glass-packaged perfumes, capitalizing on the product’s premium positioning and recyclability narrative. Together, these trends create a higher-margin outlet that partially decouples the Tunisia container glass market from beverage cyclicality.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Color: Flint Dominance, Amber Acceleration

Flint accounted for 44.56% of Tunisia container glass market share in 2024, thanks to its versatility across bottled water, cosmetics, and clear spirits applications. Transparent presentation remains essential where brand storytelling relies on visible product quality. Sustained bottled water demand and the rise of premium translucent skincare lines keep flint volume buoyant. Investments in advanced inspection cameras and low-iron sand sourcing continue to elevate clarity, reinforcing Tunisia’s competitive edge in regional supply.

Amber is forecast to grow at a 3.94% CAGR to 2030 as pharmaceutical and premium food exporters adopt light-shielding containers. Quality-conscious olive oil brands view amber as a cost-effective defense against UV-induced rancidity, a factor that protects shelf life during long sea freight to Northern Europe. Increased pharmaceutical fill-finish activity drives up demand for vials and syringe bottles, particularly when regulatory dossiers require amber Type III containers. Producers have retooled one furnace line to expand amber mole-x units, anticipating stable capacity utilization. Green glass maintains relevance in the wine and beer niches, although its growth lags behind the broader Tunisian container glass market due to slower vineyard acreage expansion and rising competition from bag-in-box formats.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Domestic customers consumed the most container glass tonnage in 2024, yet an export-oriented strategy shapes the company's approach. Tunisia directs 70.1% of all merchandise exports to the European Union, a trend reflected in glass shipments. France alone imported container units worth USD 684,050, followed by Italy, Germany, and Spain, which are reachable within three days by ship. Low berth charges at Rades and Bizerte ports, along with a total throughput of 445,755 TEU in 2023, accommodate scheduled sailings. However, Tunisia ranks 110th out of 139 on the Logistics Performance Index, indicating scope for efficiency gains.

National consumption is driven by bottled water volumes that outpace those of many larger economies. Widespread mistrust of municipal supplies, as publicized by SONEDE, sustains per-capita intake and underpins the popularity of flint bottle runs. Urban centers such as Tunis and Sfax host the bulk of filling capacity, ensuring captive off-take near glass furnaces. Outside of beverages, olive oil cooperatives in Sousse and Mahdia exhibit untapped demand for bottles as they aim to convert more bulk shipments into branded formats targeting gourmet retailers.

Neighboring markets in North Africa and Southern Europe import Tunisian vials and cosmetics jars, taking advantage of near-shoring opportunities. Ferry routes to Sicily and Marseille shave lead times to under 36 hours, enabling just-in-time replenishment for pharmaceutical distributors. Political stability and bilateral investment treaties reinforce Tunisia’s appeal, although exposure to the Eurozone's economic cycles imposes forecast uncertainty on Tunisia's container glass market exporters. Over the forecast horizon, improved customs digitization and the operationalization of the Elmed interconnector are expected to further enhance Tunisia’s competitiveness as a Mediterranean production hub.