Tel Aviv
[
Israel
On April 2nd, as directed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat,
Israel
has eliminated all the custom duties – tariffs – previously imposed on goods coming from the United States.
Israel
‘s largest trading partner.
Once the Knesset Finance Committee approves and the Economy and Industry Minister signs off on the order, an amendment concerning trade levies and safeguard measures will come into force, eliminating custom duties on all goods imported from the United States.
The US is
Israel
is its foremost ally and principal trading partner. In 2024, exports of goods to the U.S. amounted to $17.3 billion, whereas service exports were valued at approximately $16.7 billion.
Israel
The government clarified that the 1985 free trade agreement with the U.S. resulted in approximately 99 percent of goods coming from America being entirely duty-free. Consequently, reductions in custom duties will only apply to a small selection of items within the imported food and agriculture product categories from the United States.
“The decrease in import tariffs will effectively broaden US-
Israel
trade agreement and strengthen bilateral strategic relations,” the Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Ministry and Economy and Industry Ministry said in a joint statement.
This decrease also includes a commitment to
Israel
Consumers may see a potential decrease in the cost of living due to an expected increase in imported food and agricultural goods from the U.S., benefiting from a zero tariff rate. (ANI/TPS)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).