Currently, the duties of this department are exercised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.
However, it gained importance during the period of the second Albanian kingdom under King Zog I, when investments with foreign capital, especially Italian ones, began to increase in the oil industry.
[2] However, for the first time this department was established during the period of occupation of the country by fascist Italy, where under the puppet government of Maliq Bushati the Ministry of Industry and Trade was established on 12 February 1943.
Zef Shiroka was appointed Minister of State of Industry and Trade.
The last time the name of the department was included under the name of the relevant ministry was in the Nano's government (2002–2005) where it was part of the Ministry of Industry and Energy and its minister was Viktor Doda.