TIRANA (Albania), September 17 (SeeNews) – Albania's trade deficit decreased by 5.6% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2018, to 211 billion leks ($1.9 billion/1.7 billion euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Monday.
Exports rose 16.1% on the year to 205 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 4.0% to 416 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In August alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 28 billion leks, down 10.3% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the first eight months of 2018, absorbing Albanian exports of 98.5 billion leks and providing imports to the country of 116.1 billion leks. Other major importers into Albania were Greece, Turkey, China and Germany.
Albania exported mainly textiles and footwear, minerals, fuels, electricity and construction materials and metals.
(1 euro = 125.964 leks)