CBS : Exports to Asia & US down,imports up

The Central Bureau of Statistics ( CBS ) reported last week that trend figures in recent months showed that exports of goods to the US and to Asian countries had fallen, while imports had risen.
 
Exports of goods to the US fell, according to the CBS , by an annualized 1.7% in recent months, while exports to Asia were down by an annualized 2.4%.
 
Exports, however, to the European Union (EU) were up by 21.9% in the past three months, and exports to the rest of the world grew by 6.2%.
 
Total exports, excluding diamonds, rose by 8.7% in the past three months. In January, exports, excluding diamonds, totaled $2 billion, of which 37% was to the European Union, 27% to the US, 15% to Asia, and 21% to the rest of the world.
 
According to the CBS, imports, excluding diamonds, totaled $2.8 billion, out of which 37% was from the EU, 19% from the US, 17% from Asian countries, and 27% from the rest of the world.
 
Trend figures also show an annualized 7.9% rise in imports of goods from EU countries in the period November 2004-February 2005, and 16.8% growth in imports from the US.
Imports were also up 14.5% from Asia, and 23.4% from the rest of the world.
 
Israel’s balance of trade, in January, with the EU showed a deficit of $325 million, $18 million surplus with the US and a deficit of $194 million with Asia and $333 million with the rest of the world.