According to the diamond supervisor of the Trade and Industry Ministry, Shmuel Mordechai Israel exported last year $6.3 billion of polished diamonds

C.A.L. cargo airlines nominated last week three new deputies to the company director general. The decision to nominate the three was taken by the chairman Mr. Eitan Ben – David, deputy chairman Mr. Shmuel Berkowitz and director general Mr. Izhak Tuvali.

The Central Bureau of Statistics ( CBS) reported last week that Israel's GDP rose by 4.2% in 2004. The CBS said in an end of year statement that the GDP was slightly higher than previously forecasted

Israel Corporation and its daughter company Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. outlined last Sunday the business model for the acquisition of 12 container vessels in a $732 million deal

Mr. Shraga Brosh, chairman of the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute, said that exports of communications equipment in 2004 will rise 16.5% to $2.53 billion. Brosh made the comment last week at the opening of the Telecom Israel 2004 exh

Israel trade with Asia totaled $9.3 billion in January-September. Imports from Asia rose 31% in January-September, compared with that period in 2003, to $5 billion

The latest report issued last week by the World Economic Forum, on Global Competitiveness, ranks Israel in nineteenth place among 104 countries. Israel advanced in the present report one place higher from its rank of 20th in 2003's report

The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) in its twice yearly assessment of the world's economy, predicted that growth in the Israeli economy in 2004 will reach 3.6%. The IMF also placed Israel in its list of the 29 most developed countries of the world