China strengthens its positions, Saudi Arabia withdraws/ How did the main import trading partners change at the beginning of the year?
In January 2026, the structure of imports remains similar to that of the previous year, but with some notable movements in the relative weights of partners. Italy continues to lead with 20.0% of the total, although down from 21.4% in January 2025. In contrast, China strengthens its position, increasing from 14.3% to 15.1%.
Turkey also recorded significant growth, reaching 11.2% of imports in January 2026, up from 9.5% in January 2025. With an increase of 1.7 percentage points, Turkey consolidates its role as one of the three main trading partners. This movement indicates an intensification of regional trade exchanges and a stronger orientation towards geographically closer suppliers.
Greece presents almost complete stability, with a minimal increase from 8.5% to 8.6%, while Germany marks a decline from 7.0% to 6.1%. The decrease in Germany's weight may signal a gradual replacement of some import categories with supplies from alternative markets, mainly from Asia.
An important development in January 2026 is the entry of India into the list of the ten main partners, with 2.3% of total imports, while Saudi Arabia, which had 2.7% in January 2025, no longer appears in this group. Similarly, the United States increases its share from 2.1% to 3.8%, reflecting an expansion of imports from this market. South Korea slightly increases its share from 2.3% to 2.7%, while Poland and Serbia record slight decreases.
The “Other” category falls from 27.5% to 26.0%, indicating a slightly greater concentration of imports on key partners at the beginning of 2026. However, over a quarter of imports continue to be distributed across a wide range of countries, attesting to a diversified supply structure.
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