The Central Bureau of Statistics [CBS] reported that in 2014, manufacturing imports (excluding diamonds) totaled US$51.0 billion (US$49.9 billion in 2013).
The distribution of manufacturing imports by technological intensity shows that the share of medium-high technology industries in 2014 was 38.9% from total manufacturing imports and the share of high technology industries in 2014 was 23.0% from total manufacturing imports.
Imports of High Technology totaled, in 2014, US$11.7 billion, an increase of 5.7% compared to 2013 and an increase of 25.1% compared to 2010. Imports from the manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery industry increased by 29.1%, imports from the manufacture of pharmaceutical products industry increased by 5.6% and imports from the manufacture of computers, electronic and optical products industry increased by 2.7% compared to 2013.
Imports of Medium-high Technology totaled in 2014, US$19.8, an increase of 4.0% compared to 2013. Imports from the manufacture of other transport equipment (excl. building of ships and boats, air, spacecraft and related machinery) industry increased by 42.6% in 2014 and imports from the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers industry increased by 12.1% compared to the previous year.
Imports of Medium-low Technology totaled in 2014, US$9.9 billion, a decrease of 8.1% compared to 2013, due mainly to a decrease of 18.1% in imports from the manufacture of refined petroleum products industry compared to the previous year.
Imports of Low Technology totaled in 2014, US$9.6 billion, an increase of 6.2% compared to 2013 and an increase of 25.7% compared to 2010. Imports from the manufacture of wearing apparel industry increased by 8.7% and imports from the manufacture of food products increased by 2.7% compared to 2013.
In 2014, manufacturing exports (excluding diamonds) totaled US$46.7 billion (US$46.1 billion in 2013).
The distribution of manufacturing exports by technological intensity shows that the share of high technology industries in 2014 was 42.4% from total manufacturing exports, a decrease of 4.7% compared to 2010. The share of medium-high technology industries was 37.0% in 2014, an increase of 3.7% compared to 2010.
Exports of High Technology totaled in 2014, US$19.8 billion, a decrease of 1.5% compared to 2013.
The main decrease was recorded in exports of the manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery industry which decreased by 9.1% and exports of the manufacture of computers, electronic and optical products industry which decreased by 2.4%. However, exports of the manufacture of pharmaceutical products increased by 2.7% and totaled 6.5 billion dollars.
Exports of Medium-high Technology totaled in 2014, US$17.3 billion, compared to US$17.0 billion in 2013.
The increase is due mainly to the increase of US$342 million (10.9%) in the exports of the manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. industries. The share of exports of medium-high technology was 37.0% in 2014, a decrease of 3.7% compared to 2010.
Exports of Medium-low Technology increased in 2014 by 7.9% and totaled US$6.5 billion. The main increase was recorded in exports of the manufacture of fabricated metal products (except machinery and equipment) industry which increased by 22.4%.
Exports of Low Technology increased in 2014 by 7.2% compared to the previous year and totaled US$3.1 billion. The main increase was recorded in exports of the Manufacture of textiles industry, which increased by 12.1%.
The Commercial Balance Sheet, by Technological Intensity
In 2014, the deficit in the balance of manufacturing goods (excluding diamonds) was 4.2 billion dollars, an increase of 10.5% compared to 2013. It should be noted that the data exclude the trading between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Also, the data exclude imports and exports of services (including software services).
Data regarding total exports and imports of goods and services are published in the balance of payments every quarter.
In 2014, the trade surplus of high technology industries totaled US$8.1 billion, compared to US$9.1 billion in 2013. The largest surplus was recorded in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products industry (US$4.3 billion), an increase of 1.2% compared to 2013. The surplus in this industry represented 52.4% from the total surplus that was recorded in the balance of high technology industries.
In medium-high technology industries, the trade in goods deficit increased by 22.2% compared to 2013, and totaled US$2.5 billion. This increase is due mainly to the increase of 12.2% compared to 2013, in the trade deficit in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers industry.
In medium-low technology industries, the trade deficit amounted to US$3.3 billion in 2014, a decrease of 28.8% compared to 2013. This decrease is due mainly to the decrease in the deficit in the manufacture of refined petroleum products industry (15.2%), caused by the decline in world prices of energy products.
In low technology industries, the deficit totaled US$6.5 billion dollars, an increase of 5.8% in the deficit compared to 2013. The trade deficit in the manufacture of food products industry totaled US$2.0 billion and the deficit in the manufacture of wearing apparel industry totaled US$1.5 billion in 2014.
