Albania’s exports rose sharply in September 2026, reaching 31.2 billion lek, up 14.8% from the same month last year. Meanwhile, the trade deficit narrowed by 13.9% compared with August, signalling an improvement in the country’s trade balance.
According to foreign trade data, exports also increased by 52.1% month on month. Imports reached 78.6 billion lek, marking an annual rise of 4.8%. The trade deficit fell to 47.3 billion lek, down 0.9% from September 2025 and 13.9% from the previous month.
INSTAT, Albania’s national statistics institute, identified minerals, fuels and electricity as the main drivers of export growth. This group contributed 12.8 percentage points to the increase. Construction materials and metals added 3.4 percentage points, while machinery, equipment and spare parts contributed another 1.8 percentage points.
Textiles and footwear continued to weigh on export performance, reducing growth by 5.5 percentage points. On the import side, minerals, fuels and electricity made the largest contribution to annual growth, adding 3.2 percentage points. Construction materials and metals contributed 0.5 percentage points, as did food, beverages and tobacco.
September’s figures show strong export growth both year on year and month on month. The monthly decline in the trade deficit also points to a more favourable balance of trade, although imports continued to exceed exports significantly.
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