Israel Trade Gap Lowest in Almost 4 Years

Israel’s trade deficit widened to USD 4.4 billion in February 2026, sharply above USD 2.5 billion in the same month last year. This marks the largest figure since May 2022, as imports climbed 24.7% year-on-year to USD 8.8 billion, driven by a surge in transport equipment, ships, and aircraft (+1,951.9%), investment goods, total, excluding ships and aircraft (+74.9%), consumer goods (+23.7%), and raw materials, excluding diamonds and fuel (+17.3%). Meanwhile, exports fell 3% to a five-month low of USD 4.5 billion. For the first two months of the year, the trade deficit widened to USD 7.4 billion compared to USD 5.3 billion in the corresponding period in the previous year.

Israel’s trade deficit widened to USD 3.14 billion in January 2026, from USD 2.8 billion in the same month of the previous year. Exports grew 11.4% year-on-year to USD 5.1 billion, driven mainly by higher sales in manufacturing, mining, and quarrying excluding working diamonds (10.4%), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (33.1%), wholesale of diamonds (9.7%), and working diamonds (5.9%). Meanwhile, imports surged 11.7% year-on-year to USD 8.2 billion, led by increased purchases of raw materials (6.2%), consumer goods (17.3%), investment goods (48%), and diamonds, both rough and worked (8.5%). However, imports declined for fuels (-19%).

Israel’s trade deficit widened to USD 3.25 billion in November 2025, up from USD 2.77 billion a year earlier, as imports outpaced exports. Imports surged 11.6% year-on-year to USD 8.37 billion, driven by higher purchases of raw materials (+12.6%), consumer goods (+10.4%), investment goods (+18.6%), and rough and working diamonds (+50.7%). Exports rose 8.2% to USD 5.13 billion, supported by increased shipments of manufactured and mined goods (+5.9%), agricultural products (+20.1%), and working diamonds (+68.6%). For the first eleven months of 2025, the trade gap expanded to USD 35.31 billion, compared with USD 29.90 billion over the same period in 2024.