September 17 (SeeNews) - Albania's trade deficit increased by 22.8% year-on-year in the eight months through August, reaching 254 billion leks ($2.5 billion/2.1 billion euro), the national statistical office said on Friday.
Exports rose 37.3% on the year to 232 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 29.3% to 487 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In August alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 37 billion leks, up 28.8% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-August period, absorbing Albanian exports worth 96.8 billion leks and providing 121 billion leks worth of imports to the country.
Albania exported mainly textile and footwear, construction materials and metals as well as minerals, fuels, electricity in the first eight months of 2021.
(1 euro = 121.319 leks)