REGIONAL COOPERATION AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

CEFTA-2006 TRADE COOPERATION
3.1. Trade exchange of Albania
Recorded statistical data point out that Albania and Moldova have the weakest capacity
within the region. Albania especially has a weak export capacity for agricultural products.
Total exports of agricultural products for 2007 amounted a bit more than 10 million
Euro, while for the first six months of 2008 it was only about 2 million Euro. Most of the
agricultural imports were fruits, oil seeds and plants, vegetables and beverages and spirits.
Almost half of these exports were determined for Kosovo, while other important partners
were Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia.
About 41.2% of the total non-agricultural exports from Albania to CEFTA-2006 trade
partners consist of iron and steel, 18.47% of mineral fuels and 13.6% of plaster and cement.
Other items are present only in small portions. Here also half of this export was determined
to Kosovo and about ¼ to Macedonia.
On the import side of agricultural products in Albania are present: animal and vegetable
fats and oils with 21.7%; products of the milling industry with 14.97%, beverages and
spirits with 10.47%; followed by imports of vegetables (8.35%) and miscellaneous edible
preparations (7.49%). Almost 2/3 of these imports come from Macedonia, Serbia and
Kosovo.
Half of the Albanian total CEFTA non-agricultural imports consist of mineral fuels, while
the rest of the imports are rather fragmented on different items, among which 18.52%
consist of iron and steel. The major part of these imports - 2/3 - derives from Serbia,
Macedonia and Croatia (Calculated on basis of data from the Mission of the Republic of
Macedonia in Brussels, March 2009).
3.2. Trade exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina is quite an opposite case in comparison with Albania. It is heavily
dependent on trade both of agricultural, as well as of non-agricultural goods from CEFTA-
2006 countries. The export of agricultural products consists of diary products (17.58%),
animal and vegetable fats and oils (11.71%) and preparations of cereals and flour (11.40%).
Half of the agricultural export goes to Croatia, 1/3 to Serbia, and there is a significant
participation of Monte Negro.
Among the non-agricultural export items the most important are: mineral fuels (18.53%),
iron and steel (15.30%), aluminum and aluminum products (12.87%), products of iron
and steel (11.34%) and wood and products thereof (10.09%). The most important trading
partners that import about 90% of its total CEFTA-2006 export are Croatia and Serbia.
The import structure of agricultural products is rather fragmented. The most important
import items here are: beverages and spirits (20.20%), tobacco and cigarettes (9.23%),
preparations of cereals and flour (8.31%), products of the milling industry (8.30%) and
diary products (7.09%). Almost all of the imports of these products originate from Croatia
and Serbia, and a small portion from Macedonia.
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