Algeria seeks to revise EU trade deal to sell more goods

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune wants Algeria's association agreement with the European Union (EU) revised so more Algerian products can sell in Europe, ObservAlgerie reported.

Tebboune has asked for the agreement to be reviewed clause by clause. The request is linked to changes in the Algerian economy, which now makes a wider range of industrial and farm goods.

Algerian authorities say the revision should support national products, strengthen industry and create jobs. Steel, fertilisers, cement and farm products are among the goods Algeria wants to sell more of, beyond oil and gas.

Figures from the European Commission show that trade in goods between the EU and Algeria reached 43.4bn euros in 2025. The EU imported 26.5bn euros of Algerian goods that year, of which 24.7bn euros were mineral products, mainly hydrocarbons such as oil and gas. Algerian exports to Europe therefore remain heavily concentrated on energy.

According to Algerian authorities, producers of steel, building materials and farm goods are among those the revision is meant to help. The sources do not give a timetable for the revision.

Access to the European market also depends on rules on carbon emissions. The EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) entered its permanent phase on 1 January 2026. It covers iron and steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.

European importers must declare the emissions built into these goods and, in some cases, buy carbon certificates. Producers will need to measure their emissions, supply the data requested and stay competitive with European and international suppliers.

The association agreement has governed trade between Algeria and the EU since 2005, giving Algerian exports preferential access.