Brosh: High-tech exports in Q3 down 3%

Manufacturers Association president Shraga Brosh said last week that industrial exports, excluding diamonds, would grow by only 3.5% this year, compared with 17.5% in 2004.
 
Brosh's statement came shortly after trend figures published by the Manufacturers Association indicated that industrial exports in the third quarter of 2005 fell by 1% in real terms, compared with the monthly average in the preceding quarter, to $8.3 billion.
 
The Manufacturers Association report also noted that high-tech exports in the third quarter fell by 3% to $3.86 billion, after rising 7% in the second quarter.
 
Brosh called on the government to declare exports a national economic goal for the year 2006. He noted that should government accepted such notion it would require the finance ministry to provide financial aid to deepening the penetration of global markets and encourage small and potential exporters.
 
The analysis made by the Manufacturers Association pointed out that the 3% drop in high-tech exports, in the third quarter, was mainly due to a 6% drop in exports of communications equipment, monitoring and control equipment, and a 3% drop in exports of electronics and computer components.
 
However, according to the analysis the drop in the above electronic exports was offset by a 19% rise in exports of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals experienced its fourth consecutive quarter of growth.
 
The manufacturers association revealed last week thata delegation of Israeli telecommunications and information technology exporters was visiting India last week. The delegation included representatives of AccuBeat Ltd., Allot Communications, Axerra Networks, BitBand, Corrigent Systems, Lynx Photonic Network, and RAD Data Communications.
The visit, according to the manufacturers association,was part of Israel's continuing efforts to increase high-tech exports to India, which had been declared an export target. Israeli high-tech exports to India fell 11% to $124 million in January-September 2005.