Albania flag Albania: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of Albania

Foreign Trade in Figures

Albania’s foreign trade represents 82% of its GDP and is primarily conducted with Europe (World Bank, latest data available). According to data by INSTAT, in 2024, the country’s main exports were textile and footwear (28.7%), minerals, fuels, electricity (21.4%), construction materials and metals (18.9%), food, beverages, tobacco (12.6%), and machinery, equipment and spare parts (8.9%); whereas imports were led by machinery, equipment and spare parts (26.7%), food, beverages, tobacco (17.5%), construction materials and metals (13.4%), chemical and plastic products (13.0%), minerals, fuels, electricity (10.4%), and textile and footwear (9.7%).

In terms of countries, in 2024, the main export partners were Italy (43.7%), Kosovo (9.9%), Greece (6.3%), Spain (3.5%), and North Macedonia (3.2%), with imports coming chiefly from Italy (21.2%), followed by China (10.9%), Turkey (10.8%), Greece (7.6%), Germany (7.2%). In 2006, Albania signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, ratified in 2009, which liberalized trade by reducing duties and non-tariff restrictions on agricultural and industrial goods. The country is also a member of the multilateral Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and has signed several free trade agreements.

Albania's trade balance is structurally in deficit, mainly because exports are neither sufficiently diversified nor competitive in terms of price, and because of the country’s narrow production base. In 2023, merchandise exports were stable y-o-y at USD 4.3 billion, while imports increased by 2.5%, reaching USD 8.6 billion. However, the country is a net exporter of commercial services, which amounted to USD 7.2 billion against USD 3.4 billion in imports (+43.3% and +38.3% y-o-y, respectively - data from WTO). According to the World Bank, the country’s trade deficit stood at 5.2% of its GDP, narrowing from 10.3% one year earlier. Data from the Institute of Statistics indicates that Albania's trade deficit for goods increased by 20.7% on the year to USD 5.5 billion in 2024, as imports grew 2.5% against a 15.3% decline in exports.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 5,8975,5707,7188,3998,613
Exports of Goods (million USD) 2,7162,5063,5594,3094,324
Imports of Services (million USD) 2,3941,3431,9962,5133,477
Exports of Services (million USD) 3,8082,5524,1175,0197,193

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20192020202120222023
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 75.459.575.684.782.5
Trade Balance (million USD) -3,517-3,420-4,514-4,467-4,912
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) -2,103-2,210-2,392-1,960-1,275
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 2.5-19.832.511.50.2
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 2.5-27.752.117.09.5
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 44.437.044.547.543.8
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 30.922.531.137.238.7

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20242025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 7.86.95.04.54.7
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 11.67.54.83.14.4

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Member of the IMF, the World Bank and the Council of Europe.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2022
Italy 49.5%
Serbia 10.2%
Montenegro 7.9%
Greece 6.8%
North Macedonia 5.5%
See More Countries 20.1%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2022
Italy 23.4%
Türkiye 12.0%
Greece 10.1%
Serbia 6.3%
Germany 4.6%
See More Countries 43.6%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

4.3 bn USD of products exported in 2022
Ferro-alloysFerro-alloys 4.9%
Footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics,...Footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics, leather or composition leather and uppers of leather (excl. orthopaedic footwear, skating boots with ice or roller skates attached, and toy footwear) 0.7%
Men's or boys' shirts (excl. knitted or crocheted,...Men's or boys' shirts (excl. knitted or crocheted, nightshirts, singlets and other vests) 0.3%
Cucumbers and gherkins, fresh or chilledCucumbers and gherkins, fresh or chilled 0.2%
Electrical energyElectrical energy 0.2%
See More Products 93.7%
8.4 bn USD of products imported in 2022
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 0.6%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 0.5%
Crustaceans, whether in shell or not, live, fresh,...Crustaceans, whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine, even smoked, incl. crustaceans in shell cooked by steaming or by boiling in water; flours, meals and pellets of crustaceans, fit for human consumption 0.4%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 0.3%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 0.2%
See More Products 98.0%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

7.2 bn USD of services exported in 2023
62.77%
11.61%
10.74%
8.07%
2.99%
1.49%
0.83%
0.72%
0.39%
0.27%
0.09%
0.04%
3.5 bn USD of services imported in 2023
72.64%
12.26%
4.53%
3.53%
3.48%
1.15%
0.97%
0.76%
0.44%
0.15%
0.07%
0.02%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: May 2025