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Lack of tourists, imports of excise goods fall in two months

2026-03-20 10:10:00, Ekonomi CNA

In addition to cigarettes, imports of other excise goods have decreased in the first two months of 2026, according to official data from the Ministry of Finance.

After strong growth throughout 2025, the market has suffered a volume hit, especially in the beverage and fuel sectors.

The hardest hit has been beer imports, which have fallen by over 20% compared to the beginning of last year, reflecting a decline in demand of around 1.2 million liters. The same negative trend is observed in coffee, where imports have shrunk by around 8%, falling to 1,142 tons for the period January-February 2026.

The decline is largely attributed to weaker economic activity due to a lack of tourists. Official data shows that visitor numbers were almost 2 percent lower in January, while the resident population is shrinking due to high emigration and a drop in birth rates.

Given that coffee is a product that is massively consumed in bars, the shrinking population, especially among young people, and the decline in tourists directly affect the volume of imports.

Also, the consumption of imported fuels has decreased by 4.19%, a figure that signals a slowdown in economic activity and circulation in the country. This decrease, which was stronger in January than in February when the war in Iran began, is related to weaker demand than last year from the tourism sector.

Unlike other goods, the cigarette category has seen a surprising increase of over 20%. This deviation from the general downward trend in excise duty suggests a different orientation of consumption or a decrease in smuggling in this item.

Overall, the outlook for the beginning of the year remains difficult for budget revenues, given that the three main excise goods are declining.

The increase in oil prices and its knock-on effects could further slow down imports of these goods. But if prices increase, budget revenues will again benefit from increased VAT revenues, but the costs will be passed on to consumers.

In the absence of tourists, the Albanian economy will have a very difficult time finding sources of growth this year./ Monitor Magazine