TIRANA (Albania), July 17 (SeeNews) – Albania's trade deficit increased by 9.2% year-on-year in the first half of 2019, reaching 165 billion leks ($1.5 billion/1.3 billion euro), the statistical office INSTAT said on Wednesday.
Exports fell 3.7% to 152 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 2.6% to 318 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In June alone, Albania's trade deficit amounted to 28 billion leks, up 1.4% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner during the six months through June, absorbing Albanian exports of 75.7 billion leks and providing imports of 82.7 billion leks to the country. Other major exporters to Albania were Kosovo, Spain and Germany.
Albania exported mainly textile and footwear, construction materials and metals and minerals, fuels, electricity.
(1 euro = 121.391 leks)