Kosovo deepens dependence on Italian imports: Trade deficit totals 340.5m euros

Trade exchanges between Kosovo and Italy are becoming increasingly uneven. The publication of the Kosovo Economic Ode, based on data from the Kosovo Statistics Agency, shows that during 2025 imports from Italy have continued to increase, while Kosovo exports have marked significant declines, bringing the trade deficit to 340.5m euros, the highest level of recent years.

According to the report, during 2025 Kosovo exported goods worth 28.9m euros to Italy, while importing Italian products worth 369.4m euros.

As a result, the trade balance remained deeply negative, with a deficit of 340.5m euros, which represents a 16 per cent increase compared to 2024, when the deficit was 293.5m euros.

The report shows that exports to Italy have suffered a sharp decline of 22.7 percent compared to the previous year. In 2024 exports amounted to 37.4m euros, while a year later they fell to 28.9m euros. In contrast, imports from Italy increased by 11.6 per cent, exceeding 330.9m euros in 2024 to 369.4m euros in 2025.

Economic Oda, referring to AKS statistics, stresses that this inequality has caused imports with exports to drop to only 7.8 percent -- the lowest rate registered in the last four years. By comparison, this rate was 16.8 percent in 2022, 13.4 percent in 2023, and 11.3 percent in 2024, witnessing an ongoing deterioration of Kosovo's exporter position.

Economic Ode analysis shows that during the period 2022-2025, Kosovo's exports to Italy have had an annual trend of 16.2 percent, while imports have increased by 7.8 percent annually on average. According to the report, imports from Italy clearly dominate exports, reflecting Kosovo's relatively large market dependence on Italian products.

In 2025, exports to Italy accounted for only 3.1 percent of Kosovo's total export, ranking Italy tenth among the main destinations of Kosovo exports. Meanwhile, imports from Italy represented 5.2 per cent of total imports, making Italy the fifth largest importer of Kosovo.

Data through the years shows that imports from Italy have followed a continuing growth trend.

From 185.8m euros in 2020, they amounted to 275.1m euros in 2021, 275.9m euros in 2022, 287.5m euros in 2023, 323.9m euros in 2024, and reached 369.4m euros in 2025.

On the other hand, exports have moved in the opposite direction. After the peak of 59.7m euros in 2021, they fell to 46.4m euros in 2022, 38.7m euros in 2023, 37.4m euros in 2024, and only 28.9m euros in 2025.

The report also analyses the structure of imports from Italy. Most machines, mechanical equipment, and electric equipment - 17.1 percent of total imports - occupy most. They list prepared foods, drinks, and tobacco at 16.5 percent, mineral products at 12.5 percent, chemical industry products at 12 percent, plant products at 8.6 percent, transportation facilities at 8.4 percent, and basic metals, and their articles at 6.4 percent.

According to the Economic Ode, the growth of imports of some 38.5m euros during 2025 has been largely influenced by increased imports of mineral products, which grew from 9 percent to 12.5 percent of imports' structure, by transportation vehicles that grew from 5.6 percent to 8.4 percent, as well as by plant products, which scored an increase from 7.4 percent to 8.6 percent.

The report also notes that the food sector prepared, drink and tobacco continues to be one of the most important sections of trade exchange between the two countries, reaching 19.5 percent of exports and 16.5 percent of imports during 2025.

According to the Kosovo Economic Oda, recent years trends show a continued deepening of the trade deficit with Italy and a considerable dependence on Kosovo's economy on Italian products. /Monitor