TIRANA, Feb. 16 – Fuel and coffee imports registered slight increases in 2014 but continued remaining at their 2009-2010 levels at the onset of the global financial crisis.
A report published by the country’s customs administration shows fuel imports, which meet the overwhelming majority of the country’s needs rose to 481,775 tonnes in 2014, up 4.8 percent compared to 2013, but down 0.5 percent compared to the peak level of 484,392 tonnes in 2010.
Known for its massive coffee culture, Albania continued importing more coffee.
Coffee imports in 2014 rose by 3.4 percent to around 7,413 tonnes, but were up by only 7.2 percent compared to 2009 at the onset of the global financial crisis.
Meanwhile, beer imports continued their downward trend due to rising production from local breweries which cover around 90 percent of the market needs. Beer imports dropped to 26 million litres, down 6.6 percent compared to 2013 and 29 percent less compared to 2009.
