EU remains Albania’s trade titan

Trade exchanges with EU countries accounted for 58.1% of Albania’s total trade in the first quarter of this year.

According to the INSTAT report, in the period January – March 2025, exports to EU countries made up 68.4% of total exports, while imports from EU countries accounted for 53.1% of total imports, CE Report quotes ATA.

During this quarter, exports of goods reached a value of 100 billion ALL, marking an increase of 4.7%, while imports reached 202 billion ALL, showing a decrease of 3.5% compared to the same period last year. The trade deficit stood at 102 billion ALL, down by 10.4% compared to the same period in 2024.

Albania’s main trading partners were: Italy (27.7%), China (8.6%), and Greece (7.9%).

The main goods Albania exports to the EU are textiles and clothing (especially outsourcing to Italy and Germany), minerals and metals (chrome, ferro-nickel), and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables).

The main goods Albania imports from the EU include industrial machinery and equipment, processed food products, vehicles and spare parts, pharmaceuticals, and technology.

During this quarter, the countries with the highest year-on-year increase in Albanian exports were: Kosovo (79%), Greece (8.6%), and Germany (5.5%). The countries with the most significant decrease in exports were: Italy (13.9%) and North Macedonia (23.7%).

Countries from which imports dropped the most compared to a year earlier were: Italy (0.3%), Turkey (26.9%), and Germany (9.4%). On the other hand, imports increased the most from: China (29%), Greece (6.4%), and Spain (8.8%).

The EU also remains the largest investor in Albania, through grants, development projects, and private companies.