Kosovo sells more abroad to 2026, but imports bill deepens deficit at record levels

Statistics Agency data shows exports reached 521.2m euros during January-June 2026.

Imports amounted to 3.614 billion euros, producing trade deficit of 3.093 billion euros.

Kosovo oh goods trade

Exports increased, but trade gap expanded

January 15th, in millions of euros. Click a category or column for details.

Graph loaded. You can click columns or filters.deficit + $177.3 mlnImports added $261.2 million, over triple growth of $83.9 million in exports.Source Layer: Kosovo Statistics Agency, “Foreign Trade Statistics”, June 2026. The deficit is presented as absolute value.

Compared to the first quarter of 2025, exports increased by 19.2 percent, while imports rose by 7.8 percent.

But the deficit widened by 6.1 per cent, or at around 177.3m euros, despite the highest export dynamic.

The reason lies on the basis: for every euro exported goods, Kosovo imported 6,93 euros of goods.

The absolute extension of imports reached 261.2m euros, exceeding the 83.9m-euro export growth three times.

Import coverage from exports marked improvement from 13.0 to 14.4 per cent, but continues to remain at low levels.

During the first six months of 2026, goods exports covered 14.4 percent of imports, namely 13.0 percent in the same period in 2025.

January marked the only month when the deficit suffered an 11.6 per cent decline, largely thanks to the contraction of imports by 10.1 per cent.

From February to June, the deficit deepened monthly compared to the same period in the preceding year.

The most sensitive hits were recorded in April and June, when the deficit suffered increases of 17.1 and 16.1 percent respectively.

During June, exports affected 102m euros, but imports reached 680.3m euros, causing a record 578.3m-euro monthly deficit.

For just six months, the trade gap reached 50.6 percent of the entire deficit of 2025.

The basic metals made up about 26 percent of total six - month exports. Their specific weights rose from 21.9 percent in January to 27.4 percent throughout June.

Plastics and tires, food products, drinks, and tobacco each generated about 11.5 percent of the period's exports.

The CEFTA market remained the main destination, absorbing about 46 percent of exports, while the EU absorbed about 32 percent.

Northern Macedonia, Albania, Switzerland and Germany jointly made up about 52 percent of the total export value.

The range of imports is presented differently: The EU covered about 44.5 per cent of the supplies, while countries outside the EU and CEFTA accounted for 42.2 per cent.

Both generated together over 92 percent of the deficit, based on monthly round figures.

Mine products lead to imports of about 15 percent, followed by machines, food, vehicles, and basic metals.

Trade dependence remains the focus of Germany, China and Turkey. which brought together approximately 1.11 billion euros of goods.

The positive performance of exports within CEFTA remains positionive, but it remains difficult to turn the foreign trade model, as is highlighted in reports of international institutions.