Albania's 9-mo trade gap shrinks by 8.6%

Exports decreased by 13.6% on the year to 195 billion leks in the period under review, while imports fell by 10.9% to 429 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.

In September alone, Albania's trade deficit decreased by 0.5% year-on-year to 27 billion leks.

Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-September period, absorbing Albanian exports of 89.2 billion leks and providing 105.4 billion leks worth of imports to the country.

The fall in Albania's exports in the first nine months of the year was mostly due to decreased exports of textiles and footwear, minerals, fuels, electricity, construction materials and metals.

(1 euro = 124.235 leks)