weighted score 4.6 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Albania
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Albania-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
4
Child labour documented in agriculture and informal sectors. Trafficking source country. EU accession driving reform but enforcement gaps persist.
Worker rights & FOA
4
Core ILO conventions ratified. Labour code aligned with EU acquis. Large informal economy limits effective protection. Trade unions exist but membership low.
OHS & audit transparency
5
Occupational safety regulation improving under EU alignment. Enforcement capacity limited. Informal sector largely unaudited.
Food & product safety
4
Food safety framework being aligned with EU standards under accession. Agricultural exports subject to EU border checks. Capacity building ongoing.
Environmental & regulatory
4
~100% hydropower gives strong renewable energy baseline. Environmental regulation improving but enforcement weak. Waste management and pollution control are accession challenges.
Governance & anti-corruption
7
TI CPI 2025: 39/100 (below 40 threshold). SPAK anti-corruption body making progress with high-profile prosecutions. Judicial reform ongoing but corruption remains systemic.
Tariff & preferential access
3
SAA gives duty-free or preferential access to EU market for most product categories. Strong trade access advantage relative to non-preferential origins.
Non-tariff barriers
4
Progressive EU acquis alignment reducing non-tariff barriers. Product standards converging with EU requirements. Conformity assessment infrastructure developing.
Supply chain traceability
6
Informal economy (~30% GDP) creates traceability challenges. Small-scale agriculture and textile workshops difficult to audit. Improving under EU accession requirements.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour risk
- Albania has documented risks in agriculture, textiles, and informal labour sectors. Child labour persists in rural areas, particularly in agriculture and street work. EU accession process is driving reform but enforcement gaps remain.
- Worker protections
- Labour code aligned with EU acquis as part of accession process. Minimum wage enforcement improving but informal economy remains substantial (~30% of GDP by some estimates).
- ILO conventions
- Albania has ratified all eight core ILO conventions. Implementation and enforcement are progressing under EU accession benchmarks.
- Trafficking risk
- Albania is a source country for human trafficking, primarily for labour and sexual exploitation within Europe. Government anti-trafficking efforts are active but capacity-constrained.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- EU candidate status
- Albania is an EU candidate country. All six negotiation clusters were opened by November 2025. SAA (Stabilisation and Association Agreement) gives preferential trade access to the EU market.
- SAA trade preferences
- Albanian exports enter the EU duty-free or at reduced tariffs for most product categories under the SAA. This is a significant competitive advantage over non-preferential origins.
- Acquis alignment
- Progressive alignment with EU regulations including product safety, food safety, environmental standards, and labour law as part of accession negotiations.
- EUDR exposure
- Low direct exposure. Albania is not a significant producer of EUDR-regulated commodities. Wood products from Albanian forests may require due diligence.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Logistics & Supply Chain
- Primary export corridor
- Adriatic Sea → Italy/Greece → EU markets. Road transport via North Macedonia/Kosovo to Central Europe.
- Key transit chokepoints
- Adriatic crossing to Italy (short — Durres to Bari ~8 hours by ferry). Road infrastructure improving but limited motorway network.
- Main EU destination ports
- Bari, Brindisi, Ancona (Italy). Road to Greece, North Macedonia.
- Typical transit time
- 1–3 days to Southern Europe, 3–5 days to Central/Northern Europe by road
- Infrastructure note
- Port of Durres is the main commercial port. Road infrastructure has improved significantly but remains below EU average. Rail network is largely non-functional for freight.