The Israeli government decided to open the local fresh meat market and 20% of the dairy market to imports.

The decision after the government has accepted recommendations submitted by the Andorn Committee, which was chaired by Ministry of Finance director general Yael Andorn.

A joint statement by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Economy, and the Ministry of Agriculture says that the decision to open the market is intended to increase competition in the market in an effort to cut prices.

Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, Minister of the Economy Naftali Bennett, and Minister of Agriculture Yair Shamir approved the decision, and it will be submitted to the cabinet for approval in a few weeks. 

The main measures include eliminating the import duty on veal and opening the duty-free fresh meat market to imports. In addition, import quotas on duty-free hard cheeses, yoghurt, and cream will be reduced by thousands of tons a year, amounting to 20% of Israeli dairy consumption.

A spokesman on behalf of the Andorn Committee noted that it focused on meat and dairy products, which account for over 17% of expenditures by the average Israeli family, or NIS 2,251 a month. The committee said that these markets were characterized by higher prices compared with corresponding foreign markets, because of market failure, import barriers, regulatory requirements, such as kosher rules, and the lack of competition in links in the production chain in Israel.