TIRANA, Nov 18 /ATA/ – Albania’s exports were valued at a total of 317 billion lek in the period from January through October, down by 14.3% compared to the same period of the previous year, data from the National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) showed on Monday. 

INSTAT said in its Foreign Trade Report that imports to the country rose 2% year-on-year to 743 billion lek. 

According to INSTAT the country’s trade deficit widened 18.8% year-on-year and was estimated at around 426 billion lek during the reviewed period. 

The annual fall in exports was mainly attributed to the decline in exports of minerals, fuel and electricity by 5.6 percentage points, textile and footwear by 5 percentage points and the decrease in the export of construction materials and metals by 2.2 percentage points. 

The groups contributing to annual increase in imports are: “machinery, equipment and spare parts” with 2.7 percentage points, “food, beverages, tobacco” with 1.2 percentage points, whereas imports of minerals, fuel and electricity decreased 1.2 percentage points, textile and footwear declined by 0.9 percentage points. 

/j.p/u.sh/