August 18 (SeeNews) - Albania's trade deficit increased by 1.6% year-on-year in the first eight months, reaching 223 billion leks ($1.99 billion/1.67 billion euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Monday.
Exports rose 12.8% on the year to 177 billion leks, while imports increased 6.3% to 400 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In August alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 31 billion leks, up 2.8% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the first eight months of 2017, absorbing 61.5% of Albania's exports and providing 38.5% of the country's imports. Other major importers into Albania were Spain, Greece and Germany.
Albania exported mainly construction materials and metals, textile and footwear, food, drinks and tobacco.
(1 euro = 133.57 leks)