On April 27, CLDP participated in the launch of its recently produced Handicraft Export Guide which aims to facilitate the export of Tunisian handicrafts to the U.S. The guide focuses on the technical aspects of handicraft export, including meeting the expectations of the U.S. market, contractual agreements, export standards, shipping, and payment techniques. The launch was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia Daniel Rubinstein and Tunisian Minister of Tourism Salma Elloumi Rekik. Second only to agriculture in terms of employment, the handicraft sector in Tunisia is essential for income distribution and job growth across socio-economic levels, in particular with respect to women, who constitute 80% of the handicraft sector. 

On April 27-29, CLDP led a group of three U.S. private sector experts to Tunisia’s annual handicraft expo, which included 1200 artisans, to provide constructive feedback on improving the export readiness of Tunisia’s artisan population. The experts interacted with local artisans and assessed areas of improvement in order to increase export potential for the artisans’ products. CLDP will gather and synthesize these reports to produce a set of recommendations for the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism and the National Office of Handicrafts.