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Implications
The following update summarizes the current state of U.S.-Albania trade relations as of January 2026.
Latest US Tariffs Update: Albania
As of early 2026, Albania maintains a relatively favorable position compared to its regional neighbors under the "Trump 2.0" trade policy.
Baseline Tariff: Albania is currently subject to a 10% baseline reciprocal tariff on all exports to the United States.
Regional Advantage: While countries like Serbia (37%) and North Macedonia (33%) face much higher rates for failing to meet specific reciprocal trade conditions, Albania—alongside Kosovo and Montenegro—has retained the lower 10% rate.
Pending Risks: There is a threatened 25% tariff (Phase 1) scheduled for June 1, 2026, which could be applied to countries involved in certain geopolitical disputes (e.g., the Greenland acquisition pressure) or those with significant trade ties to Iran.
Secondary Sanctions: A 500% tariff has been threatened for any country that knowingly facilitates the sale of Russian-origin energy products, a critical watchpoint for Albanian energy imports.
Major Companies & Sectors Impacted
While specific private company names are often withheld in trade data for confidentiality, the following sectors and their representative entities are seeing the most volatility:
Sector | Impact Level | Primary Impacted Entities |
Metallurgy/Steel | Critical | Major exporters of ferroalloys and cast iron (e.g., Kurum International) saw U.S. export volumes collapse by nearly 90% since the initial tariff hikes. |
Textiles & Apparel | High | Manufacturers of knit suits and footwear (Albania's "fason" industry) are facing tighter margins and shifting production to EU/regional markets. |
Agriculture | Moderate | Exporters of medicinal/perfume plants and fresh vegetables are struggling with 10% higher landing costs in the U.S. |
Energy | Potential | State and private importers face massive risks if secondary tariffs on Russian-linked energy flows are triggered. |
GDP & Trade Impact (YTD 2026)
GDP Impact: The IMF projects Albania’s GDP to grow by 3.6% in 2026. While tourism remains the primary driver, the direct impact of U.S. tariffs on GDP is currently considered "minimal" (roughly -0.1% to -0.2%) because the U.S. represents a small percentage of total Albanian trade compared to Italy and the EU.
Balance of Trade (BOT) with USA:
YTD Status: Albania maintains a trade deficit with the U.S.
Exports to US: Decreased by approx. 77.5% year-on-year (Oct 2025 vs Oct 2024), falling from $34M to ~$7.7M.
Imports from US: Increased slightly (up 1.4% to $12.2M), driven by cars and machinery.
Net Position: A negative balance of roughly $4.5M/month in the U.S. trade lane.
SWOT Analysis: Albania Trade (2026 US Tariff Context)
Strengths | Weaknesses |
* Strong political/strategic ties with the U.S. * 10% tariff rate is significantly lower than Balkan competitors. * Booming tourism sector provides a GDP buffer. | * High export concentration in low-margin sectors (textiles, minerals). * Small domestic market limits negotiation leverage. * Historical lack of depth in U.S.-Albania economic investment. |
Opportunities | Threats |
* Near-shoring: Capturing U.S. business shifting away from high-tariff countries (Serbia/China). * Market Diversification: Expanding trade into the Middle East and SE Asia. * EU Integration: Using EU-Mercosur style agreements to offset U.S. losses. | * Escalation to 25% or 500% tariffs if geopolitical conditions aren't met. * "Stagflation" in the Eurozone reducing demand from Albania’s primary partners. * Labor shortages and brain drain affecting manufacturing capacity. |
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Tariff Rate for US
World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.
US Imports Guide
United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.
Investing in USA
theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters
Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration
theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

Economic
Relevance
Ranking
State | Info | Overall Rank | Agri | Innov | Mfg | Employ | Tax | Edu | GDP | F500 Rep | Trade Balance | Cost of Living | Disp Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 13 | |
North Carolina | 2 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 17 | |
Virginia | 3 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 3 | |
Florida | 4 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 37 | |
Washington | 5 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 1 | |
Missouri | 6 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 20 | |
Georgia | 7 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 19 | |
Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 9 | |
Ohio | 9 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 11 | |
Illinois | 10 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 7 |