The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Albanian global shipments during 2020, at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Albania.

1. Footwear: US$416.4 million (16.6% of total exports)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $271 million (10.8%)
3. Mineral fuels including oil: $214 million (8.5%)
4. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $209.8 million (8.3%)
5. Iron, steel: $196.8 million (7.8%)
6. Electrical machinery, equipment: $131.4 million (5.2%)
7. Vegetables: $81.8 million (3.3%)
8. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $79.7 million (3.2%)
9. Ores, slag, ash: $75.5 million (3%)
10. Meat/seafood preparations: $64.6 million (2.6%)

Albania’s top 10 exports accounted for 69.2% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Electrical machinery and equipment represents the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 19.6% from 2019 to 2020.

In second place for improving export sales were vegetables via a 14.8% gain.

Albania’s shipments under the salt, sulphur, stone and cement category posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 10.1%.

The leading decliner among Albania’s top 10 export categories was mineral fuels including oil, thanks to a -29.8% drop year over year. That product category was weighed down by lower international sales of refined petroleum oils from Albania.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, insoles and heel cushions represent Albania’s most valuable exported product at an estimated 10.3% of the country’s total. In second place was leather footwear (8.2%) trailed by unknitted and non-crocheted men’s suits and trousers (7.4%), iron or non-alloy steel bars and rods (4.5%), hydraulic cements (3.1%), medicinal plants (2.1%) then fresh or chilled tomatoes (2%).

The following types of Albanian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Footwear: US$313.1 million (Down by -17.1% since 2019)
2. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $149.2 million (Up by 2.6%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $75.4 million (Down by -0.3%)
4. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $67.7 million (Down by -6.4%)
5. Vegetables: $61.1 million (Up by 28.2%)
6. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $45.1 million (Up by 13.5%)
7. Meat/seafood preparations: $40.6 million (Down by -5.5%)
8. Oil seeds: $33.2 million (Up by 9.6%)
9. Copper: $8.5 million (Up by 5.2%)
10. Lead: $4 million (Down by -2.7%)

Albania has highly positive net exports in the international trade of footwear. In turn, these cashflows indicate Albania’s strong competitive advantages under the footwear product category.

Overall Albania incurred an estimated -$3.1 billion product trade deficit for 2020, down by -3.2% from -$3.2 billion in red ink one year earlier.

Below are exports from Albania that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Albania’s goods trail Albanian importer spending on foreign products.

1. Machinery including computers: -US$391.2 million (Up by 3.9% since 2019)
2. Vehicles: -$360 million (Down by -5.9%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$277.7 million (Down by -10.2%)
4. Mineral fuels including oil: -$256.3 million (Down by -29%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: -$232.9 million (Up by 7.3%)
6. Plastics, plastic articles: -$201.1 million (Up by 6.4%)
7. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: -$104.3 million (Down by -8.3%)
8. Cereals: -$104 million (Up by 7.4%)
9. Articles of iron or steel: -$98.3 million (Down by -17.7%)
10. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: -$97.1 million (Down by -26.8%)

Albania has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the machinery-related product category, notably for mobile phones.

Albanian Export Companies

Not one Albanian corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists some exports-related companies from Albania. Selected examples are shown below.

• AlbChrome (chrome, ferrochrome)
• Albpetrol (oil, gas)
• Antea Cement (cement)
• Birra Tirana (beer)
• Birra Korça (beer)
• Military Export Import Company MEICO (military equipment)
• Taçi Oil (oil, gas)