TIRANA, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Albania's exports to foreign markets increased by 19 percent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, Albanian National Institute of Statistics (NIS) said on Wednesday.

Albania's exports during the period amounted to 74 billion ALL (around 727 million U.S. dollars).

According to the data, the groups which affected positivity the annual increase of exports are ones of construction materials and metals with 5.6 percent, textile and footwear with 5.2 percent, and the group of minerals, fuels, electricity with 2.7 percent.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of 2018, the import of goods reached the value of 146 billion ALL (around 1.4 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 9.6 percent.

The groups which positivity affected the annual increase of imports, according to NIS data, are ones of machinery, equipment, spare parts with 3.3 percent, minerals, fuels, electricity with 2.5 percent, and the groups of textile and footwear with 1.1 percent.

A negative effect on imports comes from the group of chemical and plastic products, with 0.7 percent. However, at present, the growth of imports is not giving a big impact to Albania's trade deficit, according to the NIS.

The trade deficit in Albania in the first quarter of the year is around 71 billion ALL (around 680 million U.S. dollars), with a slight increase of only 1.2 percent compared to same period in 2017.

The trade deficit stabilization comes mainly due to export growth, which in March marked an annual growth of 15 percent, said the NIS.