Fuels changed direction, imports fall - January-February 2025/ Less coffee and beer were imported, tobacco increased
The year 2026 has started with a decline in the amount of fuel imported and consumed. Official data from the Ministry of Finance shows that for the period January-February 2026, 102 thousand tons of fuel were cleared, a figure that has changed the trend of last year where fuel imports marked a record level of the last 5 years.
Specifically, compared to the same period in 2025, fuel imports have decreased by 4469 tons. These figures are not related to the war situation in the Middle East, as the decrease occurred not only in February, but also in January when prices were normal. This may signal a slight decrease in fuel consumption.
Meanwhile, during the first two months of the year, a decline in coffee imports was also observed, again in the opposite trend to last year. By February, 1,142 tons of coffee had been imported, out of 1,241 tons that were imported in the same period last year, with a decrease of 99 tons.
As for beer, it is the only product among excise goods that is following the downward trend in imports that started last year, which was also reflected last year. During the first two months of the year, 4625 tons, a decrease of 1179 tons.
While the only difference from excise goods is tobacco products this year, where in two months 497 tons were imported from 412 tons imported in January-February 2025, with an increase of 85 tons. The figures show that Albanian citizens are not giving up smoking despite the fact that every year the prices of packages are increasing significantly due to the increase in excise duty and also the weight in their direct annual expenses.
But despite these indicators, total excise revenue for the period January-February 2026 was realized in the amount of 10 billion lek or 100 million euros, an increase of 561 million lek compared to the same period a year earlier.
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