TIRANA, Dec 17/ATA/ Commercial activity in the country slowed down over the period from January to November this year.

According to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), goods exports in foreign trade amounted to 319 billion lek during the eleven-month period, recording a 7% decrease, while imports declined by 1% to 807 billion lek.

The trade deficit for the period January–November amounted to 488 billion lek, representing an increase of 3.4% compared with the corresponding period in 2024.

The main decline in exports was driven by the construction materials and metals group, which fell by 5%, followed by the minerals, fuels, and electricity group with a 1.6% decrease. In contrast, exports of food, beverages, and tobacco increased by 0.8%, while machinery, equipment, and spare parts rose by 0.6%, contributing positively.

During the eleven-month period, imports from Italy fell by 1.8%, from Turkey by 12.5%, and from Germany by 6.2%, while imports from China rose by 22.6%, from Greece by 3.5%, and from Kosovo by 2.2%.

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