Kosovo and Macedonia "support" Albanian exports/ In four months, imports lost more ground with Montenegro
Albania's trade with regional countries continued to expand during the first quarter of 2026, driven mainly by increased exports to Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Data shows that during the period January-April 2026, Albanian exports to Kosovo reached around 13.4 billion lek, increasing by 16.7% compared to the same period a year earlier. Kosovo thus remains Albania's most important trading partner in the region and one of the main markets for Albanian products.
Strong growth was also recorded in exports to North Macedonia, which expanded by 22.1%, reaching around 4.1 billion lek. Exports to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro also increased, by 9.3% each, reflecting the expansion of trade exchanges with most of the region.
Meanwhile, exports to Serbia remained almost at the same levels as a year ago, with a slight decrease of 0.6%, signaling a slowdown in the trade pace between the two countries.
Regarding imports, the picture is more mixed. Albania increased imports from Kosovo by 11.2% and from Bosnia and Herzegovina by 5.1%, while significantly reducing purchases from Montenegro by 40%. Decreases were also recorded in imports from North Macedonia and Serbia, by 11.5% and 5.3%, respectively.
Data show that during the first months of the year, Albania's regional trade continued to rely mainly on the markets of Kosovo and North Macedonia, while in some other countries a contraction in imports and weaker rates of trade exchanges are observed.
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