January 17 (SeeNews) - Albania's trade deficit expanded by 7.3 % year-on-year in 2022, reaching 464 billion leks ($4.4 billion/4 billion euro), the national statistical office said on Tuesday.
Exports rose 32% to 487 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 18.7% to 950 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In December alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 54 billion leks, down 2.9% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-November period, absorbing Albanian exports worth 155.8 billion leks and providing 205.9 billion leks worth of imports. Albania exported mainly metals and minerals, textile and footwear and machinery, equipment and spare parts.
(1 euro = 116.029 leks)