Albania Trade Gap Widens in March

Albania’s trade deficit widened to ALL 47.6 billion in March 2026 from ALL 42.4 billion in the same month a year earlier. Imports rose by 8.8% year-on-year to ALL 80.3 billion, driven by higher purchases of machinery, equipment and spare parts (13.3%%), food, beverages and tobacco (8.9%), chemical and plastic products (9.5%), and construction materials and metals (10.5%). Among key trading partners, imports increased most from China (33.3%) and Germany (15.3%). Meanwhile, exports grew at a slower pace of 4.1% to ALL 32.7 billion, supported by stronger sales of minerals, fuels and electricity (26%), machinery, equipment and spare parts (14.5%), and construction materials and metals (4.2%), but partly offset by weaker shipments of textiles and footwear (-6.3%) and food, beverages and tobacco (-5.2%). Exports increased primarily to Kosovo (7.2%) and Greece (38.3%), while declining to Italy (-7%) and Spain (-74.3%).

Albania’s trade deficit narrowed slightly to ALL 37.1 billion in February 2026 from ALL 37.4 billion in the same month a year earlier. Exports grew by 2.8% year-on-year to ALL 30.9 billion, driven by higher shipments of minerals, fuels, electricity (+31.1%) and machinery equipment, spare parts (6.4%), partly offset by lower sales of food, beverages, tobacco (-14.4%) and construct materials and metals (-6.6%). Exports mainly increased to China (+91.7%), Kosovo (37.1%), Germany (34.7%), and North Macedonia (27.7%), while it decreased to Ukraine (-74%) and Switzerland (-72.1%). Meanwhile, imports rose at a softer 0.8% to ALL 68 billion, with increased purchases of machinery equipment, spare parts (21.5%) and food, beverages, tobacco (5.7%), mitigated by minerals, fuels, electricity (-30.6%) and construct materials and metals (-9.5%). Imports grew from Russia (165.5%), China (53.9%), and Kosovo (36.5%), while it declined from Ukraine (-30.8%) and Spain (-25.1%).

Albania’s trade deficit narrowed to ALL 31.1 billion in January 2026 from ALL 32 billion in the same month a year earlier. Imports fell 4.0% year-on-year to ALL 57.9 billion, driven by lower inflows of construction materials and metals (-2.1 pp), minerals, fuels, and electricity (-2.0 pp), and chemical and plastic products (-1.5 pp), partly offset by higher imports of machinery, equipment, and spare parts (+2.1 pp). Purchases decreased from Italy (-10.3%) and Greece (-3.3%) but rose from China (+1.8%) and Turkey (+13.5%). Meanwhile, exports declined 4.5% to ALL 26.7 billion, weighed down by drops in minerals, fuels, and electricity (-2.9 pp), textile and footwear (-1.8 pp), and chemical and plastic products (-0.4 pp), mitigated by machinery, equipment, and spare parts (+1.4 pp) and leather products (+0.1 pp). Exports fell to Italy (-3.6%) and Kosovo (-2.0%) but increased to Germany (+30.2%) and Greece (+31.8%).