Exports fell to 370 billion lekë, experts: Businesses will leave the country

2025-01-17 16:00:50 / EKONOMI&SOCIALE ALFA PRESS

Exports fell to 370 billion lekë, experts: Businesses will leave the

Albania in 2024 sold fewer Albanian products on international markets while on the other hand bought more foreign goods.

Exports fell again in value last year, to a total of 372 billion lek from 440 billion in 2023. In December, Albanian businesses managed to sell 26 billion lek of "Made in Albania" products, the lowest value in 2024.

" Some are on the verge of bankruptcy and have difficulty paying salaries and subcontractors, and if there is any intervention, it will only lead to the departure of this business to Pakistan, India, and other countries. Many companies have invested in their brands for years, but it will be a huge loss for our country ," said Filip Gjoka, an exporter.

The decline in Albanian exports was mainly influenced by construction materials, minerals and textiles. (graph) While the purchase and supply of Albanian markets with foreign goods, mainly machinery, equipment, food and minerals, set records in 2024. 894 billion lek of products were imported from 872 billion lek a year earlier. The peak was recorded in the summer months and at the end of the year.

" We hope that since there has been demand for some of the items that we are storing, that the international market is used to it, we are fighting not to go below the level of 2024. Since we have little chance that the euro will recover. We will see that a good part of the products in Albania will be foreign with this situation of exports that we have ," said Gjoka.

Focusing on trade geography, Albania marked a decrease in exports with Italy, Kosovo and Greece, while further increasing imports with China and Turkey.

Due to the decline in exports and the increase in imports last year, the trade deficit deepened further, reaching 522 billion lek./ A2CNN

 

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