The war "saved" Albanian exports/ They recorded a 16.9% increase in April, the trade deficit improved
Exports of goods recorded strong growth in April, narrowing the trade deficit at the same time, while the impact of energy prices and tensions in the Middle East continues to be reflected in Albanian foreign trade.
According to official INSTAT data, in April 2026 exports reached 34.9 billion lek, increasing by 16.9% compared to the same month a year earlier and by 6.8% compared to March. Imports reached 79 billion lek, with a more moderate increase of 4.4% in annual terms, while falling by 1.6% compared to the previous month. As a result, the trade deficit decreased to 44.1 billion lek, with a contraction of 3.8% compared to April last year.
The growth in exports was mainly supported by the group “Minerals, fuels and electricity”, which made the largest positive contribution with 9.8 percentage points, followed by construction materials and metals with 6.6 percentage points. Food, beverages and tobacco, as well as machinery and equipment also contributed to the growth.
“The impact of international prices appears particularly strong in the minerals, fuels and electricity group. The data show that, although the weight of imports in this group fell to around 193 million kg from 206 million kg a year earlier, the value increased to 9.6 billion lek from 7.7 billion lek. The same trend was also evident in exports, where the quantity fell from 227 million kg to 216 million kg, while the value increased significantly to 8.4 billion lek. This suggests that the growth in trade in this category has been driven mainly by higher energy and fuel prices in international markets, at a time when tensions in the Middle East continue to keep global energy markets unstable.”
Meanwhile, traditional sectors continue to show weaker signals. Textiles and footwear contributed negatively by 1.8 percentage points, while chemical and plastic products, as well as leather and leather goods, had a more limited negative impact.
Even in imports, the main impact was provided by minerals, fuels and electricity with 2.5 percentage points, followed by food, beverages and tobacco with 2.1 percentage points. On the other hand, machinery, equipment and spare parts had a negative impact, partially curbing the expansion of imports.
Unlike March, when imports expanded at a much higher pace, April saw a slowdown in foreign purchases, which helped reduce the trade deficit. However, the high dependence on energy and fuel imports continues to keep the Albanian economy exposed to developments in international markets and transport costs.
In terms of partner markets, Albanian exports recorded the highest growth towards Kosovo with 26% and Germany with 28.9%, while they fell towards Italy with 3.8% and Spain with 20.6%. On the other hand, imports increased mainly from China with 18.9% and Italy with 3.1%, while they fell from Germany and Turkey.
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