Tunisia’s phosphates, base metals and petroleum industry provide most of its foreign earnings. Phosphates alone accounted for nearly 45% of the countries export earnings. The minerals industry contribute around 3% to Tunisia’s GDP.
The countrys cement industry that produces approximately 5Mt per year has been privatised, with two of its largest companies being sold to European investors. The parastatal Société du Djebel Djerissa produced iron ore from the underground mine at Djerissa and from the open-pit operations at Tamera and Douaria.