Italy remains Albania’s largest trading partner, both for imports and exports, although trade with this country declined in 2023.

Data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) revealed that in 2023, exports to Italy reached 189 billion lek, with a decrease of 10% compared to the previous year.

Italy has a dominant share in Albanian exports, accounting for around 43% of the total sales of products outside the country. Textiles and footwear are the main products sold to neighboring Italy, constituting 51% of the total, followed by building materials and metals (52%), machinery, equipment, and spare parts (11%).

Second for exports continued to be Kosovo, with exports reaching 40 billion lek in 2023, or 9% of the total. Albania had a positive trend with Kosovo, with exports increasing by 8% on an annual basis in 2023. The main products exported to Kosovo are building materials and metals (41% of the total), minerals, combustible materials, electric power (20%), food, tobacco, and drinks (16% of the total).

The third partner for exports in 2023 surpassed Germany, and it was Greece again. The value of goods sold to Greece reached 28.6 billion lek, or 7% of the total. Compared to 2022, exports to Greece increased by 13%. The main products sold to Greece were minerals, combustible materials, electric power (30% of the total), textiles and footwear (24%), food, tobacco, and drinks (16.6%).

Germany fell to fourth place, after a 28% decline, and Spain to fifth, after a 19% decrease. Sales to North Macedonia also declined by 19%.

Imports, China rises to second place

Italy continues to be Albania’s main trading partner for imports as well. From this country, Albania imported goods worth 194 billion lek, with a decrease of about 6% compared to the previous year.

However, unlike exports, the dependence on Italy for imports is lower. 22% of the total imports came from the neighboring country in 2023. The main products imported are textiles and footwear (21.8%), machinery, equipment, and spare parts (21.2%), food, tobacco, and drinks (15%).

China has risen to Albania’s second partner in 2023 in terms of imports. From this country, Albania imported goods worth 93 billion lek, or 10.7% of the total.

Imports from China increased significantly by 21% on an annual basis. The main products coming from the distant state are machinery, equipment, and spare parts (48.5%), which also saw the largest increase, textiles and footwear (15.1%), building materials and metals (14.3%).

Turkey has dropped to third place, as imports fell by 26% to 84 billion lek. From this country, 9.7% of total external purchases came in. The main products imported are building materials and metals (25%), textiles and footwear (17%), machinery, equipment, and spare parts (15%).

Germany (7% of the total) and Greece (6.5%) continue the list of importers. One country that recorded a significant increase in imports in 2023, ranking sixth, was India, with a quadrupling of imports to 32 billion lek.

This trend was influenced by the redirection of oil imports from this country, as it has some of the largest oil refineries in the world.