Israel’s foreign trade slumped in April 2010

In April 2010, manufacturing exports constituted 79% of all export of goods. Export of diamonds constituted 18%, and the remaining 3% was agricultural exports
 
On 11 May, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced that Israel’s foreign trade fell sharply in April. According to the CBS there was a major slowdown in imports of consumer goods in April, while exports fell 19% last month from NIS 4.79 billion in Marchto NIS 3.88 billion. Imports fell by 11.5% from NIS 5.12 billion in March to NIS 4.53 billion in April and the trade deficit totaled US$0.6 billion.
 
Import of Goods: Import of goods, in current prices in U.S. dollars, totaled US$4.53B.
A breakdown of the data of import by use indicates that in April 2010, 41% of total imports were import of raw materials (excluding diamonds and fuels); 14% was consumer goods, 14% was machinery, equipment and land vehicles for investment; and the rest diamonds, fuels and ships and aircraft.
 
Import of raw materials (excluding diamonds and fuels) in April 2010 totaled US$1.8B. Trend data reveals that in February -April, import of raw materials point to a rise of 29.4% at an annual rate. A breakdown by groups of import of raw materials in the last three months, points to a rise of 61.3% in the import of iron and steel.
 
Import of consumer goods in April 2010 totaled US$0.6B. Trend data indicates that in the last three months, import of consumer goods rise by an annual rate of 11.2%. Import of non-durable goods rose, by an annual rate of 17.3% during the last three months.Most of the rise was recorded in import of food and beverages (18.6%). Import of durable goods rose by an annual rate of 4.7%.
 
Import of investment goods (excluding ships and aircraft) in April 2010 totaled US$0.7B. In February-April, import of investment goods rose by an annual rate of 32.3%. A breakdown by groups points that import of machinery and equipment point to a rise of 19.6% in the last three months.
 
Import of diamonds (rough and polished) in January-April 2010 totaled US$2.3B. During the same months in 2009 the import of diamonds totaled US$1.0B.
 
Import of fuels (crude oil, distillates and coal) in January-April 2010 totaled US$3.5B a rise of 49.3% comparing to the same months of the previous year.
 
Export of Goods: In April 2010, manufacturing exports (excluding diamonds) constituted 79% of all export of goods. Export of diamonds constituted 18%, and the remaining 3% was agricultural exports.
 
Distribution of manufacturing exports by technological intensity (excluding diamonds), indicates that high technology industries (48% of total manufacture exports) totaled US$1.6B in April 2010. Trend data of exports by high technology industries points toa rise of 12.1%, at an annual rate. Breakdown by economic activity points to a rise of 61.5% in exports of pharmaceutical products.`
Exports of medium-high technology industries (30% of total manufacture exports) totaled US$0.9B in April 2010. Trend data of exports by medium-high technology industries point to a rise of 6.1%, at an annual rate, in February-April.
 
Exports by medium-low technology industries (17% of all manufacture exports) totaled US$0.5B in April 2010. Trend data of exports by medium-low technology industries point to a rise of 29.8%, at an annual rate, in the last three months. Breakdown by economic activity points to a rise of 97.3% in exports of mining and quarrying. Exports by low technology industries (5% of all manufacture exports) totaled US$0.2B in April 2010. Trend data of exports by low technology industries point to a rise of 17.7% at an annual rate, in February-April 2010. Breakdown by economic activity points to a rise of 28.9% in exports of textiles, wearing apparel and leather.
Export of diamonds (polished and rough) in January-April 2010 totaled $3.0B (1.5B in January-April 2009). Agricultural exports in January-April 2010 totaled US$646M (temporary data). Exports of citrus rose by 34.3% at the same period.