Exports continue growing, electricity sales drop

TIRANA, August 9 – Albania exported 16.5 billion lek (160 million dollars) of goods in June 2010, 75.6 percent more year-on-year but 6.4 percent less than the previous month, the Institute of Statistics said in its monthly foreign trade balance sheet.
Meanwhile, imports totaled 40.8 billion lek, 16.1 percent more year-on-year but 1.4 percent less than last April.
The trade deficit gap in July widened in July, registering 24.3 billion lek, increasing by 2.4 percent compared to April but dropping 5.6 percent compared to June 2009.
The wider trade deficit gap was a result of a sharp drop in the “mineral, fuel and electricity” group whose exports dropped by 35.2 percent compared to April 2010.
Last May, exports in this group increased by 163 percent mainly because of electricity exports, which reached a record 70 million euros during the first half of this year.
June registered a 35 percent increase in the export of “food, drinks and tobacco” group, and a 18.4 percent rise in the “construction material and metals.” Machinery and spare parts exports also increased by 16.4 percent compared to last April, said INSTAT.
Trade with the European Union countries continued to hold the main share with 65.9 percent of the total. Italy remained Albania’s top trade partner with 18.9 percent of exports, down from 40 percent in the previous month and 46 percent of imports. Second came neighbouring Greece with 4.9 percent of exports and 14.3 percent of imports.