North Macedonia Trade Gap Smallest Since 2021

North Macedonia’s trade deficit widened to $439 million in April 2026 from $311 million in the corresponding month a year earlier. Imports rose 27% year-on-year to $1,355 million, while exports increased 21.3% to $916 million. In the January-April period, imports climbed 16% to $4,622 million, driven by higher purchases of chemical and related products (13%), machinery and transport equipment (5.9%), and miscellaneous manufactured goods (16%). The largest increases in imports came from Great Britain (91.7%), China (15.2%), and Germany (3.2%). Meanwhile, exports grew 16.8% to $3,254 million, supported by increased shipments of chemical and related products (34.9%), manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (12.7%), machinery and transport equipment (9.7%), and miscellaneous manufactured goods (6.9%). Export growth was strongest to Germany (17.5%), Bulgaria (20.1%), and Serbia (17.7%). Over the first four months of the year, the country’s trade deficit totaled $1,368 million.

North Macedonia’s trade deficit narrowed to $193 million in March 2026 from $261 million in the same month a year earlier, marking the smallest gap since September 2021. Exports rose 13.4% year-on-year to $855 million, while imports increased 3.3% to $1,049 million. In the January-March period, exports climbed 15.1% to $2,338 million, supported by stronger sales of food and live animals (13.9%), chemicals and related products (29.6%), machinery and transport equipment (8.6%), and miscellaneous finished goods (8.5%). Meanwhile, imports grew 11.8% to $3,265 million, driven by higher purchases of food and live animals (8.6%), products classified by material (24.3%), chemical and related products (11.7%), machinery and transport equipment (5.5%), and miscellaneous finished goods (16.2%). However, over the first three months of the year, the trade deficit totaled $927 million, up from $889 million in the same period a year earlier.

North Macedonia’s trade deficit widened to $422 million in February 2026 from $349 million in the corresponding month a year earlier. Imports climbed 25% year-on-year to $1,282 million, while exports rose 26.9% to $860 million. In the January-February period, the country’s trade deficit reached $731 million. Imports rose 16.2% compared to the corresponding period a year earlier to $2,214 million, driven largely by higher purchases of food and live animals (13.9%), chemicals and related products (14%), manufactured goods (26.8%), machinery and transport equipment (11.9%), and miscellaneous manufactured articles (18.9%). Meanwhile, exports increased 16.1% to $1,483 million, supported by higher sales of food and live animals (8.7%), chemicals and related products (32.2%), manufactured goods (6.1%), machinery and transport equipment (10.4%), and miscellaneous manufactured articles (13.5%).