The data is similar to data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for this year
Figures published by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) indicate that May-June 2012 saw the sharpest drop in exports of Israeli goods since the beginning of 2009.
Exports of goods, excluding diamonds, dropped by 7.7% compared to March-April 2012, totaling some US$7.5 billion. The IEICI attributes the sharp drop to a 19% (!) decrease in Israel's export of drugs and medicine. However, the IEICI noted that even without this factor, Israeli exports still dropped by 5.8% - the sharpest in two years.
High-tech exports totaled US$3.45 billion, down 7.2% compared to March-April 2012. Export of communication equipment, medical, and scientific equipment dropped by 4.6% and totaled US$1.26 billion. Aircraft exports were also down by 2.4%, comprising US$278 million.
The data released by the IEICI is similar to data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) for this year. The data published by the CBS show that from January-June 2012, Israel's trade deficit totaled NIS 38 billion, compared to a deficit of NIS 23 billion for the corresponding period up to June 2011. The IEICI data show that in 2010 Israeli exports comprised 83.2% of imports, whereas in 2011 that number dropped to 75.4%, and in the first half of 2012 exports dropped to only 67.5% of imports.
