Trade deficit widens by 12.2% in March/Exports grow driven by minerals, fuels and electricity
Exports of goods continued to grow in March, giving moderate signals of stabilization for foreign trade, but in parallel, imports also experienced a strong expansion, thus deepening the trade deficit.
According to official data, in March 2026, exports reached 32.7 billion lek, increasing by 4.1% compared to March of the previous year and by 5.6% compared to February. On the other hand, imports reached 80.3 billion lek, with an increase of 8.8% in annual terms and 17.9% compared to the previous month.
The growth in exports was mainly supported by certain commodity groups. The largest positive contribution was made by minerals, fuels and electricity, with 5.0 percentage points, influenced by the increase in oil prices in international markets, followed by machinery and equipment with 1.6 percentage points and construction materials and metals with 0.6 percentage points, indicating a continued dependence on specific sectors.
In contrast, traditional sectors continued to show signs of weakness. Textiles and footwear had a negative impact of 1.9 percentage points, while food, beverages and tobacco had a negative impact of 0.8 percentage points, reflecting difficulties in sectors with a high share in employment and domestic production.
On the other hand, the increase in imports was driven mainly by the expansion of purchases of machinery, equipment and spare parts, which contributed 3.2 percentage points, as well as by food, beverages and tobacco and construction materials and metals, suggesting increased demand for investment and domestic consumption.
The increase in imports in March does not appear to have a strong connection to the war, as in addition to rising to 80.3 billion lek, from 73.8 billion lek a year earlier, they also increased by about 18.8% in weight, signaling an increase in the volume of goods purchased from abroad.
However, for mineral fuels and mineral oils, the increase in imports appears to have been driven more by prices than by volume. In March, the value of imports in this group increased to around 7.55 billion lek, from 7 billion lek a year earlier, while the weight fell to 84.7 million kg, from 97.5 million kg. This indicates that in this category the impact of international costs remains more pronounced, at a time when energy markets continue to be affected by geopolitical tensions.
As a result of these dynamics, the trade deficit reached 47.6 billion lek, increasing by 12.2% compared to March last year and by 28.2% compared to February, confirming the continued pressure from higher imports.
In terms of markets, Albanian exports increased to Kosovo by 7.2% and Greece by 38.3%, while decreases were recorded to Italy by 7.0% and Spain by 74.3%, reflecting fluctuations in the main European markets. On the other hand, imports increased significantly from China by 33.3% and Germany by 15.3%, while they decreased from Italy and Turkey.
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