Xifres de comerç exterior d'Israel

Foreign Trade in Figures

Israeli foreign trade represents 58% of the country's GDP (World Bank, latest data available). In 2023, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying made up 93% of goods exports (excluding diamonds), diamonds 5%, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2%. Imports included 43% raw materials (excluding diamonds and fuels), 25% consumer goods, 16% investment equipment, 12% fuels, and 4% ships, aircraft, and diamonds (data CBS). Product-wise, exports were led by diamonds (11%), electronic integrated circuits (7.4%), medical instruments (4%), telephone sets (4%), and measuring instruments (3.4%); whereas imports comprised chiefly petroleum oils (9%), motor cars (7.3%), diamonds (5%), telephone sets (3.3%), and medicaments (2.3% - data Comtrade).

In terms of geographic origin, in 2023, the majority of imports came from China (17.8%), the United States (10.2%), Germany (6.3%), Türkiye (5.8%), Italy (3.9%), and India (2.7%); whereas exports were directed mainly towards the United States (by far the largest partner, accounting for 27.5% of total exports), China (5.5%), Ireland (5.2%), the Netherlands (4.2%), and India (3.7% - data Comtrade). The EU as a whole accounted for 30% of total exports and 34% of imports (CBS).  Israel has a liberal import policy: in addition to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, Israel has FTAs with Canada, Turkey, the EU and EFTA. Furthermore, in 2023 the FTA with the United Arab Emirates came into effect.

Israel’s balance of trade for goods is structurally negative, but the one of services is positive thanks to strong exports of high-tech services, such as computer consulting services, computer services and software. According to WTO’s latest data, in 2023, merchandise exports reached USD 66.9 billion (-9.1% y-o-y), while imports amounted to around USD 91.2 billion (-14.9%). In the same year, exports of services reached USD 84.1 billion, with imports standing at USD 47 billion (-2.5% and +4.9%, respectively). Thanks to the contribution of services, the World Bank estimated the country’s trade balance to be positive by 3.7% of GDP in 2023 (up from 3% one year earlier). According to the Israeli Statistics Office (CBS), in 2024 compared with 2023, the trade deficit (goods only) rose by 8.1%, exports of goods fell by 3.0%, and imports of goods decreased by 0.9% (to ILS 210 and 336.3 billion, respectively).