How does the Middle East affect the Albanian economy? Goods that dominate trade exchanges/From machinery, to fuels and minerals
The conflict in the Middle East began on Saturday with an attack initiated by Israel and the United States of America against Iran, to later escalate with a counterattack and expansion of the clashes towards the United Arab Emirates. This morning it was reported that the situation has also affected Lebanon, increasing tensions in the region. In addition to the damage to human life and infrastructure, the crisis is also giving strong signals in the economy, especially after the announcement of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic point for global energy trade.
But how could this situation affect Albania? Trade data for 2025 show that our country has significant exchanges with countries involved in the conflict.
With the United Arab Emirates, Albanian imports are dominated by aluminum and its articles, with around 411.4 million lek. Meanwhile, exports to this market are led by natural pearls, precious stones and jewelry with 361.1 million lek, followed by food products and mineral fuels.
As for Israel, the volume of exchanges is higher and concentrated in the energy and technology sector. Albania imports mainly machinery and electrical equipment with about 1.62 billion lek, as well as mineral fuels and plastic products. On the other hand, Albanian exports to Israel are dominated by mineral fuels (745.4 million lek), food preparations from cereals, fish and marine products, as well as cast iron and steel articles.
Even with Lebanon, although in smaller volumes, exchanges are structured. Albania imports alcoholic beverages, chemical preparations, cosmetics and machinery, while exporting mainly iron and steel products (127 million lek), processed tobacco, mineral fuels and furniture.
Meanwhile, trade with Qatar is heavily focused on plastics, rubber and their products, with imports reaching 525.8 million lek. Albanian exports to this market mainly include chemical industry products, prepared foods, means of transport and optical instruments.
If tensions continue and trade routes remain restricted, the impact could be reflected in prices, supplies and transport costs in the Albanian market as well, particularly in the energy, manufacturing and basic materials sectors.
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