TIRANA (Albania), November 19 (SeeNews) – Albania's trade deficit decreased by 7.6% year-on-year in the first ten months of 2018, to 264 billion leks ($2.4 billion/2.1 billion euro), the statistical office, INSTAT, said on Monday.
Exports rose 16.0% on the year to 262 billion leks in the period under review, while imports increased 2.8% to 525 billion leks, INSTAT said in a statement.
In October alone, Albania's trade deficit totalled 28 billion leks, down 14.2% year-on-year.
Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in the January-October period, absorbing Albanian exports of 125.2 billion leks and providing imports to the country of 145.9 billion leks. Other major importers into Albania were Turkey, Greece, China and Germany.
Albania exported mainly minerals, fuels, electricity, construction materials and metals and textiles and footwear.
(1 euro = 124.242 leks)