July 17 (SeeNews) - Albania's trade deficit in the six months through June edged down 0.1% year-on-year, reaching 162 billion leks ($1.4 billion/1.22 billion euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Monday.
Exports rose 13.5% on the year to 133 billion leks, while imports increased 5.6% to 295 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In June alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 31 billion leks, up 15.1% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the first six months of 2017, absorbing 69.7% of Albania's exports and providing 45.3% of the country's imports. Other major importers into Albania were Germany, Greece and Spain.
Albania exported mainly construction materials and metals, textile and footwear, minerals, and construction materials and metals, and imported chemical and plastic products, textile and food, drinks and tobacco.
(1 euro = 133.036 leks)