TIRANA (Albania), July 26 (SeeNews) – Albania's trade deficit increased by 21.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2021, reaching 178 billion leks ($1.7 billion/1.5 billion euro), the national statistical office said.
Exports rose 40.9% on the year to 177 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 30.5% to 354 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement last week.
In June alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 32 billion leks, up 11.4% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-June period, absorbing Albanian exports of 75.3 billion leks and providing 91.4 billion leks worth of imports to the country.
Albania exported mainly textile and footwear, minerals, fuels, electricity and construction materials and metals in the first half of 2021.
(1 euro = 122.402 leks)