The Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) has published the Import Price Index (IMPI) in the fourth quarter of 2018 (Q4 2018).

The total import price index in Kosovo increased by 2.2% in Q4 2018 compared to Q3 2018. The largest increase in prices by sectors was: leather and articles thereof (14.0%); live animals and their products (8.5%); optical, photographic, measuring, and musical instruments, and clock mechanisms (6.6%); vegetable products (6.3%); mineral products (5.5%); machinery and electrical equipment (3.8%); various manufactured articles (3.8%); paper and articles thereof (2.4%); base metals and articles thereof (1.3%); plastics, rubber and articles thereof (1.3%); articles of stone, mortar, ceramic and glass products (0.3%); chemical industry products (0.2%); wood and wood articles (0.2%); and means of transportation (0.1%).

The increase was counteracted mainly by the decrease in prices by sectors of: textile and articles thereof (-3.6%); edible oils (-1.2%); footwear (-0.4%); and prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco (-0.4%).

Meanwhile, compared Q4 2018 with Q4 2017, import prices increased by an average of 3.9%. The largest increase by sectors was: mineral products (20.7%); leather and articles thereof (15.5%); plastics, rubber and articles thereof (7.2%); optical, photographic, measuring, musical instruments, and clock mechanisms (6.9%); live animals and their products (5.6%); wood and wood articles (4.0%); articles of stone, mortar, ceramics and glass products (3.3%); paper and articles thereof (2.5%); machinery and electrical equipment (2.4%); chemical industry products (2.1%); base metals and articles thereof (2.0%); means of transport (1.4%); various manufactured items (0.7%).

The increase was counteracted mainly by the decrease in prices by sectors of: footwear (-10.1%); vegetable products (-8.6%); textile and articles thereof (-7.2%); edible oils (-3.2%) and prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco (-0.4%).