The Netherlands wants to forge ties with Albania. The country is exploring opportunities to cooperate with Albanian companies, who are active across the garment value chain. Albania is seen as a great opportunity for Dutch brands and buyers who want to source sustainable and responsible garments and shoes.

Albania’s garment and footwear sector produces the country’s top exports and mainly relies on cheap labor costs. The sector’s annual turnover accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s total exports. The quality of work is good. The majority of garment and footwear factories produce for Italian quality brands. Albania’s strategic geographical location allows an easy and rapid reach to the Netherlands. Add the ability to source small quantities and this is a sourcing country that offers good options for small and large Dutch fashion brands.

Also Albanian companies offer competitive production costs, short lead times and eagerness to open up to the world and move up the value chain ladder towards full cycle production. On the other side, Dutch companies offer a dynamic and innovative market, an experienced entrepreneurship attitude and commonly reliable partnership when it comes to orders’ payments.

The Netherlands has emerged as the second largest foreign direct investor in Albania in the past couple of years and is on track to further increase its presence in the Balkan country thanks to increased investment in the oil industry.