TIRANA (Albania), January 17 (SeeNews) – Albania's trade deficit decreased by 6.3% year-on-year in 2018, to 331 billion leks ($3.0 billion/2.6 billion euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Thursday.
Exports rose 13.7% to 310 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 2.4% to 641 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In December alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 38 billion leks, down 1.0% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-December period, absorbing Albanian exports of 149.1 billion leks and providing imports to the country of 175.3 billion leks. Other major importers into Albania were Turkey, China, Greece and Germany.
Albania exported mainly textiles and footwear, minerals, fuels, electricity and construction materials and metals.
(1 euro = 123.788 leks)