Albania’s March exports increased by 4%

Albania’s exports for the month of March increased by four percent compared to March 2014. This was confirmed by the monthly report on external trade issued by the Institute of Statistics (INSAT). On March 2015, the value of imports was Lek 44 billion, increasing by 3.9 percent compared with March 2014 and 13.5 percent compared with February 2015.

The latest data show that the EU countries with which Albania has had the highest increase of exports, compared with March 2014 are the UK, Austria, and Germany.  Trade with the EU countries makes 63.9 percent of total trade, while the main trade partners remain Italy (35.1 %), China (8.4 %), Turkey (7.2 %) and Greece (6.7 %).

Exports to Kosovo and Turkey, in March 2015, compared to the previous year, increased occupying respectively 9.1 percent and 7.1 percent of total export, while exports to China decreased occupying 2.4 percent of total export.

In the meantime, imports from EU countries for the same month increased by 6.3 percent, compared with March 2014, occupying 62.0 percent of total import. Partner with the largest weight in imports from EU countries is Italy with 47.4 %, Greece with 13.2 % and Germany with 11.2 %. EU countries with which Albania has had the highest increase of imports, compared with March 2014 are Germany, Italy, and Austria. While, countries with which has had a decrease of exports are Spain, Greece, and Croatia.

Moreover, imports from China and Turkey, in March 2015, compared with previous year, increased while imports from Kosovo decreased.Annual growth in March 2015 is influenced by construction materials and metals that contributed with +8.4 percentage point, machinery, equipment, spare parts contributed with +3.0 percentage point, “food, beverages, tobacco” contributed with +1.2 percentage point, “minerals, fuels, electricity” contributed with -8.1 percentage point, “textile and footwear” contributed with -1.2 percentage point.

“Annual growth in March 2015 is influenced by construction materials and metals that contributed with +8.4 percentage point, machinery, equipment, spare parts contributed with +3.0 percentage point, “food, beverages, tobacco” contributed with +1.2 percentage point, “minerals, fuels, electricity” contributed with -8.1 percentage point, “textile and footwear” contributed with -1.2 percentage point,” it was said in INSTAT’s report.

News Source: INSTAT