Olive oil export & logistics: the complete guide

Q: How do you export or import olive oil?

Exporting or importing olive oil comes down to mastering six links: the incoterm (who pays freight, insurance, customs), sea freight (container, flexitank), documentation (invoice, packing list, B/L, EUR.1, COA), the ports (Radès, Sfax → destination port), quality (COI/EU category, COA per batch) and customs by market (duties, VAT, quota)

Q: How do you export olive oil from Tunisia?

You need a Tunisian company with a customs code and ONH export approval , an ONH analysis per batch (COA), a documentary file (invoice, packing list, B/L, EUR.1 for the EU, phytosanitary), a freight forwarder and a port (Radès/Sfax), secured payment (deposit + LC) and the agreed incoterm. Details in the import A-Z guide.

Q: Which incoterm to choose for olive oil?

FOB (Radès) is the standard for a first export: the buyer controls the freight. CIF gives a delivered-port price. Reserve DAP/DDP for trusted customers. Compare with the incoterm selector.

Q: How many litres of oil in a 20' container?

About 22,000 L in a flexitank, 20 × 1,000 L in IBCs, or 40 × ~200 L in drums. The density (~0.913 kg/L) allows conversion to net weight. Detail your loading with the export cost calculator.

Q: What are the customs duties on olive oil in the EU?

Within the Tunisian tariff quota (EU zero-duty quota, EUR.1 required), duties are 0% . Outside the quota, the EU duty reaches 124.50 €/100 kg , which wipes out the margin — hence the importance of filing the certificates early, the quota being exhausted every year.

Q: What is the EU quota (tariff quota)?

It is TRQ 09.4032 , which allows Tunisian oil to enter the EU at zero duty with a EUR.1 certificate. The certificates are requested through SICAD and the quota is exhausted every year : you must act early in the harvest season.

Q: Do you need a certificate of analysis (COA) to export?

Yes. The COA attests the category of the oil (acidity, peroxide, K232/K270, polyphenols) and must be issued per batch by the National Oil Office or a COI-accredited laboratory. Some markets require a specific format (Brazil: original SISCOLE bulletin). See quality & process.

Q: Which port to export olive oil from Tunisia?

Mainly Radès (containers) and Sfax (close to the southern olive-growing basins). The destination port depends on the market (Marseille, Antwerp/Rotterdam, North American ports) and is part of the incoterm ("FOB Radès", "CIF Marseille").

How do you export or import olive oil?

Exporting or importing olive oil comes down to mastering six links: the incoterm (who pays freight, insurance, customs), sea freight (container, flexitank), documentation (invoice, packing list, B/L, EUR.1, COA), the ports (Radès, Sfax → destination port), quality (COI/EU category, COA per batch) and customs by market (duties, VAT, quota). This hub connects each brick and points you to the dedicated page. Origin: Tunisia, the 2nd largest producer in the world, from 3.80 €/kg FOB.

Whether you are an importer (buy and clear customs at home), a seller (quote and ship at the best price) or an operational exporter (approval, documents, financing), this page is your entry point. Choose your brick below or follow the thread from A to Z.

Free guide: Importing Tunisian olive oil A-Z — incoterms, transport, documents, customs by country, checklist. Get it by email »

The 6 bricks of export logistics

Brick	What it covers	Dedicated page
Incoterms	Who pays freight, insurance, customs clearance (FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP)	Olive oil incoterms »
Transport & packing	20'/40' container, flexitank, IBC, drums, transit	Formats & packing »
Documentation	Proforma, invoice, packing list, B/L, EUR.1, COA, phyto	Export documents »
Quality	COI/EU categories, thresholds, COA per batch	Quality & process »
Markets & customs	Duties, VAT, quota, buying culture by country	Markets by country »
Negotiation	Price, payment, tolerances, contract (buyer & seller)	Negotiating olive oil »

Each brick is covered in depth on its own page. Below, the essentials of each and the link to dig deeper.

Incoterms: who pays what

The incoterm sets where the seller's responsibility ends and the buyer's begins — it is the first decision in any transaction.

Incoterm	The seller goes as far as	Recommendation
EXW	Ex works	Buyer with a freight forwarder in Tunisia
FOB (Radès)	Goods on board	Standard for a first export
CFR / CIF	Destination port (+ insurance for CIF)	Buyer wanting a delivered-port price
DAP / DDP	Delivered (cleared for DDP)	Trusted customers only

An incoterm error can wipe out the margin (a poorly priced DDP, a forgotten EUR.1). Choose yours with the incoterm selector and read the complete incoterms guide.

Sea freight & packing

Bulk olive oil travels by sea container from Radès or Sfax. The packing determines the cost per tonne:

Format	Capacity	Per 20' container	Ideal for
Flexitank	~22,000 L	1 per 20'	Large volumes, lowest cost/tonne
IBC	1,000 L	×20	Intermediate volumes
Drum	200 / 216 L	×40	First orders, tests

A litre of oil weighs about 0.913 kg (to convert €/kg ↔ €/L). Transit times are indicative: ~1 week for Marseille, 2–3 weeks for Northern Europe or North America (to be confirmed depending on port and forwarder). Detail of formats & packing and optimised loading with the export cost calculator.

Export documentation

The documentary file reads as six families: exporter's papers (ONH approval, customs code), commercial documents (proforma, invoice, packing list), quality (COA), origin (EUR.1, Arab CO, standard law), compliance (phytosanitary, organic, fumigation) and transport/payment (B/L, insurance, LC).

The missing document is the one that blocks: a forgotten EUR.1 loses the EU zero-duty (124.50 €/100 kg outside the quota); a COA in the wrong format (Brazil SISCOLE) immobilises the goods. Complete list, issuer, lead time and cost on the export documents page. Generate them with the document generator and check yours with the documentary checklist.

Ports & transit

Tunisian exports mainly depart from Radès (containers) and Sfax (close to the southern olive-growing basins). The choice of destination port (Marseille, Antwerp/Rotterdam for re-shipment to Northern Europe, North American ports) depends on your market and determines transit, freight and customs clearance.

The reference port is part of the incoterm: "FOB Radès" and "CIF Marseille" do not price the same. Always specify it in the contract. See the incoterms guide and the export cost calculator.

Quality: the condition for everything else

Logistics is worthless if quality is not locked in. The commercial category (extra virgin ≤ 0.80% acidity, virgin ≤ 2.0%, lampante/pomace → refining) is proven by a COA per batch issued by a COI-accredited laboratory.

The markers that count: acidity, peroxide (≤ 20), K232 (≤ 2.50), K270 (≤ 0.22), and often the polyphenols (≥ 250 mg/kg = EFSA health claim). A sealed reference sample serves as the contractual basis on arrival and avoids disputes. Everything is detailed on the quality & process page and the COA classifier.

Markets & customs by country

Each market has its own duties, VAT, quota and buying culture. Benchmarks:

Market	Duty / agreement	Import VAT	Buying-culture note
France	0% (EU quota, EUR.1)	5.5%	Demanding on price and consistency; strong private label
Germany	0% (EU quota, EUR.1)	7%	Leading organic market: organic certification near-required
Gulf	0% (Arab CO GAFTA)	5% (UAE) / 15% (KSA)	Relationship first, original certificates, Arabic label
United States	MFN ~3.4–5 ¢/kg	no federal VAT	Strong private label appetite; FDA/FSVP on importer side

The EU zero-duty quota (TRQ 09.4032, ~56,700 t/year) is exhausted every year: file the certificates early. Browse all markets by country and estimate duties + VAT with the export cost calculator.

Buyer side / seller side

The same logistics is managed differently depending on your role. This hub speaks to both.

Buyer side (importer, distributor)	Seller side (exporter, brand)
Choose the advantageous incoterm (FOB/CIF), lock quality with a COA, check duties & VAT at destination, secure payment, anticipate your own import formalities (FDA, SFC, MAPA).	Quote at the right incoterm, assemble a flawless documentary file, secure collection (30% deposit + LC / COTUNACE), obtain the EUR.1 for each EU shipment, respect the country's COA format.
CTA: request a quote	CTA: train in export

For the price and contract part, see the negotiating olive oil pillar.

Logistics mistakes to avoid

Inconsistency between invoice / packing list / B/L: the leading cause of documentary disputes.
Forgetting the EUR.1 / certificate of origin: loss of the zero-duty (a major hidden cost).
Wrong incoterm: DDP to an unknown customer, or EXW compared to a CIF without recalculation.
COA in the wrong format for the country (Brazil SISCOLE, Gulf original).
Missing the EU quota slot: full duty instead of zero-duty.
Ignoring the formalities on the importer side (FDA prior notice, SFC licence, MAPA ~120 days): they block the container even when they are not the seller's responsibility.

FAQ — Olive oil export & logistics

How do you export olive oil from Tunisia?

You need a Tunisian company with a customs code and ONH export approval, an ONH analysis per batch (COA), a documentary file (invoice, packing list, B/L, EUR.1 for the EU, phytosanitary), a freight forwarder and a port (Radès/Sfax), secured payment (deposit + LC) and the agreed incoterm. Details in the import A-Z guide.

Which incoterm to choose for olive oil?

FOB (Radès) is the standard for a first export: the buyer controls the freight. CIF gives a delivered-port price. Reserve DAP/DDP for trusted customers. Compare with the incoterm selector.

Which documents are needed to import olive oil?

Proforma then commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading (B/L), certificate of origin (EUR.1 for the EU, Arab for the Gulf, standard law elsewhere), the batch COA by a COI-accredited laboratory, and phytosanitary/health certificates, plus, depending on the market, organic, fumigation or insurance. See export documents.

How long does sea transport take?

Indicatively ~1 week for Marseille, 2–3 weeks for Northern Europe (Antwerp/Rotterdam) or North America, to be confirmed depending on the destination port and the forwarder. The total time also includes batch preparation, ONH analysis and issuing the documents.

How many litres of oil in a 20' container?

About 22,000 L in a flexitank, 20 × 1,000 L in IBCs, or 40 × ~200 L in drums. The density (~0.913 kg/L) allows conversion to net weight. Detail your loading with the export cost calculator.

What are the customs duties on olive oil in the EU?

Within the Tunisian tariff quota (EU zero-duty quota, EUR.1 required), duties are 0%. Outside the quota, the EU duty reaches 124.50 €/100 kg, which wipes out the margin — hence the importance of filing the certificates early, the quota being exhausted every year.

What is the EU quota (tariff quota)?

It is TRQ 09.4032, which allows Tunisian oil to enter the EU at zero duty with a EUR.1 certificate. The certificates are requested through SICAD and the quota is exhausted every year: you must act early in the harvest season.

Do you need a certificate of analysis (COA) to export?

Yes. The COA attests the category of the oil (acidity, peroxide, K232/K270, polyphenols) and must be issued per batch by the National Oil Office or a COI-accredited laboratory. Some markets require a specific format (Brazil: original SISCOLE bulletin). See quality & process.

Which port to export olive oil from Tunisia?

Mainly Radès (containers) and Sfax (close to the southern olive-growing basins). The destination port depends on the market (Marseille, Antwerp/Rotterdam, North American ports) and is part of the incoterm ("FOB Radès", "CIF Marseille").

Who pays for the transport insurance on olive oil?

The seller, as soon as they sell CIF, CIP or beyond (generally at 110% of the CIF value). Under FOB, CFR or EXW, the insurance is the buyer's responsibility. It is a point to settle in the incoterm. See the incoterms guide.

How do you secure payment on export?

The standard is a 30% deposit + balance against documents or via a confirmed documentary credit (LC), supplemented by COTUNACE credit insurance on sales not paid in advance. In risky markets, the confirmed LC is essential. See the negotiating olive oil pillar.

How do I estimate my delivered cost (CIF or DDP price)?

Start from the FOB price, add the freight (less the FOPRODEX subsidy where applicable), the insurance, then the duties, VAT and destination charges depending on the country. The export cost calculator does the calculation by origin, incoterm and market.

Take action

You have the full map: incoterms, transport, documents, ports, quality, markets and payment. Choose your brick and move forward.

Incoterms » · Export documents » · Markets by country » · Negotiating olive oil »

Export cost calculator » — delivered price by origin, incoterm and market · Documentary checklist ».

Request a free quote — dated quotation + a standard logistics file for your market. Pre-filled "Export & logistics" drawer.

Train in export (3,500 DT) — approval, documents, incoterms, financing, with lifetime access to the tools.

July 2026 data, indicative and to be re-verified before any commitment. Sources: COI trade standard COI/T.15/NC, EU regulation (EUR.1/tariff quota TRQ), ONH (Tunisia), international trade practices (incoterms, documentary credit, COTUNACE).