Minerals and tailoring, "against" exports/ Foreign trade started 2026 with a decline in imports as well
Foreign trade has started 2026 with a decline, the latest data from INSTAT show. According to the publication, in January, exports of goods reached 26.7 billion lek, decreasing by 4.5% compared to January 2025 and by 0.3% compared to December 2025. In the same period, imports reached 57.9 billion lek, decreasing by 4.0% on an annual basis and 27.5% compared to the previous month. As a result, the trade deficit for January was recorded at 31.1 billion lek, 3.6% lower than a year earlier and 41.3% lower than in December 2025.
The main negative impact on the annual decline in exports was provided by the groups “Minerals, fuels, electricity” with 2.9 percentage points, “Textiles and footwear” with 1.8 percentage points and “Chemical and plastic products” with 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, the group “Machinery, equipment and spare parts” contributed positively with 1.4 percentage points, while “Leather and articles thereof” with 0.1 percentage points.
In imports of goods, negative contributions were also recorded from several main groups. The 4.0% decline was particularly influenced by “Construction materials and metals” with 2.1 percentage points, “Minerals, fuels and electricity” with 2.0 percentage points and “Chemical and plastic products” with 1.5 percentage points. Meanwhile, the “Machinery, equipment and spare parts” group had a positive impact with 2.1 percentage points.
Regarding trading partners, in January 2026 the largest decline in exports was recorded towards Italy by 3.6% and Kosovo by 2.0%, while there was a significant increase towards Germany by 30.2% and Greece by 31.8%. On the import side, the largest decrease was recorded from Italy by 10.3% and Greece by 3.3%, while an increase was recorded from China by 1.8% and Turkey by 13.5%.
Trade with European Union countries accounts for 55.4% of total trade. Exports to EU countries account for 74.1% of total exports, while imports from these countries account for 46.8% of total imports, confirming the dominant weight of the European market in Albania's foreign trade.
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