Albania's trade deficit decreased by 4.6% year-on-year in May, to Lek 42 billion (Dollar 495 million/Euro 428 million), the national statistical office said on Tuesday.

Exports rose 1.2% on the year to Lek 35 billion, while imports fell 2.1% to Lek 78 billion in May, INSTAT said in a monthly statement.

The rise in exports was driven by an increase in the outbound trade in minerals, fuels, and electricity by 6.2 percentage points (pp), food, drinks, and tobacco by 1.4 pp, and shoes and textiles by 1 pp.

Italy remained Albania's main trading partner in May, attracting Lek 13.3 billion worth of its exports and providing Lek 17.4 billion of imports.

Meanwhile, data published by INSTAT show that in the period January-May 2025, exports reached a value of Lek 168 billion, marking an increase of 2.1% compared to the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, imports of goods reached a value of Lek 355 billion in the review period, decreasing by 2.4%, compared to the previous year.

The trade deficit reached a value of Lek 187 billion, decreasing by 6.1%, compared to the same period in 2024.

The groups that have influenced the annual growth of exports are: "Minerals, fuels and electricity" with 8.3% and "Food, beverages, tobacco" with 0.8%, while the groups that have been negatively affected are: "Construction materials and metals" with 6% and "Chemical and plastic products" with 0.7%.

During these five months, the countries with which Albania has had the greatest increase in exports, compared to a year earlier, are: Kosovo 74.1%, Greece, and Germany. Meanwhile, the countries with which exports have had the greatest decrease are: Italy and North Macedonia.

Trade exchanges for the first five-month period of 2025, with EU countries accounting for 57.2% of all trade.