May 17 (SeeNews) - Albania's trade deficit in the first four months of the year fell 4.95% year-on-year, reaching 96 billion leks ($792.6 million/711.2 million euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Wednesday.
Exports rose 16.4% on the year to 87 billion leks in the January-April period, while imports added 4.1% to 183 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In April alone, Albania's trade deficit was 16.1% lower year-on-year and 13.3% below the March value.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the first four months of 2017, absorbing 54.7% of Albania's exports and providing 29.4% of the imports into the country. Other major importers into Albania were Germany, Turkey, Greece, and China.
Albania exported mainly textiles, footwear, minerals and construction materials, and imported predominantly machinery, spare parts, food, beverages and tobacco, chemical and plastic products.
(1 euro = 134.982 leks)