Previous Media Release on Foreign Trade Appeared on June 19, 2017

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Previous Media Release on Foreign Trade appeared on June 19, 2017

Jerusalem,

July 20, 2017

208/2017

Israel’s Foreign Trade in Goods, by Country - June 2017

With a Focus on Trade in Goods between Israel and Russian Federation

This Media Release includes a review of trade in goods between Israel and Russian Federation. The purpose of this review is to present to the public detailed data of trade in goods between Israel and one of the partner countries.

Tables

In June 2017, imports of goods (gross, excluding diamonds) were NIS17.7 billion. 42% were imports from the EU countries, 28% from the Asian countries, 11% from the USA and 19% from "Other Countries".

Exports of goods (gross, excluding diamonds) totaled NIS 13.9 billion and the trade deficit of goods (excluding diamonds) totaled NIS 3.8 billion. 34% of the exports were to the EU countries, 27% to the USA, 21% to the Asian countries and 18% to the "Other Countries"[1].

Trade balance- January - June 2017

The trade deficit of goods (excl. diamonds) with the EU countries was NIS 16.3 billion compared with NIS 22.0 billion in January - June 2016.

The trade deficit of goods (excl. diamonds) with the Asian countries totaled NIS 12.6 billion compared with NIS 9.5 billion in January - June 2016.

The trade deficit of goods (excl. diamonds) with the "Other Countries" totaled NIS 3.4 billion compared with a surplus of NIS 0.5 billion in January - June 2016.

In contrast, there was a trade surplus of goods (excl. diamonds) with the USA of NIS 9.2 billion, an increase of 57.7% compared with the same period in 2016.

Imports of goods- April - June 2017

The trend data calculated by the Central Bureau of Statistics show that imports of goods (excluding ships, aircrafts, diamonds and fuels) decreased by 5.7% at an annual rate in April - June 2017, following a decrease of 4.2% in January 2017 - March 2017.

Trend data indicate that imports (excluding diamonds) from the EU countries decreased by 1.8%, at an annual rate, in April – June 2017, following a decrease of 9.6% in January - March 2017.

In the first six months of the year imports (excluding diamonds) from Ireland, Belgium, Germany and Czech Republic decreased significantly compared with the same period in 2016.

Imports (excluding diamonds) from the USA decreased by 8.4% at an annual rate in April – June 2017, following a decrease of 18.1% January - March 2017.

According to trend data, imports (excluding diamonds) from "Other Countries" decreased by 11.2% at an annual rate in the last three months, following an increase of 1.9% in January - March 2017. In January - June 2017 imports (excluding diamonds) from Australia, Paraguay and Turkey decreased significantly compared with the same period in 2016.

In contrast, trend data indicate that imports (excluding diamonds) from the Asian Countries increased in the last three months by 1.9% at an annual rate, following an increase of 4.1% in January - March 2017. Imports (excluding diamonds) from China, Japan and Vietnam, increased significantly over the past six months compared with the same period in 2016.


Exports of goods- April – June 2017

The trend data show that exports of goods (excluding ships, aircrafts and diamonds) decreased by 10.7% at an annual rate, following a decrease of 2.1% in January - March 2017.

Exports (excluding diamonds) to the Asian Countries decreased by 12.1% in the last three months, at an annual rate, following a decrease of 22.4%, in January - March 2017 (-2.1% monthly average). In January - June 2017 exports (excluding diamonds) to Malaysia, Vietnam and India decreased significantly compared with the same period in 2016.


Exports (excluding diamonds) to the "Other Countries" decreased by 8.6%, at an annual rate, in April – June 2017, following an increase of 11.2% in January - March 2017. Since the beginning of the year exports (excluding diamonds) to Nigeria and Chile decreased significantly compared with the same period in 2016.

Exports (excluding diamonds) to the EU countries decreased by 13.1%, at an annual rate, in April – June 2017, following an increase of 12.1% in January - March 2017. Exports (excluding diamonds) to Italy and Spain decreased significantly over the past six months compared with the same period in 2016.

In contrast, trend data indicate that exports (excluding diamonds) to the USA increased by 9.2%, at an annual rate in April – June 2017, following a decrease of 2.7% in January - March 2017.

Trade in goods between Israel and Russian Federation

Table B. Israel and Russian Federation - General data, 2016

/ [2]Israel
/ Russian Federation
/
Population / 8.6 million / 144.3 million[3]
Territory / 22 thousand sq. Km / 17,098 thousand sq. Km[4]
GDP in billion dollars / 318.7 / [5]1,283.2
GDP per capita in dollars / 37,305 / [6]8,748
Unemployment rate / 4.8% / 5.5%[7]
Import of goods in billion dollars / 65.8 / [8]182.3
Export of goods in billion dollars / 60.6 / [9]285.5
Balance of trade in goods in billion dollars / -5.2 / -103.2


Russian Federation - Imports and Exports

Exports from Russian Federation to the rest of the world[10]

The exports of goods from Russian Federation in 2016 totaled $285.5 billion, a decrease of 17.0% compared to 2015.

The main groups of exported goods were: petroleum oils, oils obtained from minerals and their products.

The main countries to which Russian Federation exported in 2016 were: Netherlands and China (Diagram 4).

Imports to Russian Federation from the rest of the world

The imports of goods to Russian Federation in 2016 totaled $182.3 billion, a decrease of 0.3% compared to 2015.

The main groups of imported goods were: medicaments and telephones, including cell phones.

The main countries from which Russian Federation imported in 2016 were: China, Germany and USA (Diagram 5).

Trade in goods Israel-Russian Federation

The trade balance between Israel and Russian Federation changed from a surplus of $233.5 million in 2012 to a deficit of $318.2 million in 2016. This change was mostly caused by a decrease in Israeli exports to Russian Federation from $1,053.0 million in 2012 to $620.6 million in 2016. The Israeli exports to Russian Federation constituted 1.0% of all of Israel's exports. In contrast, Israeli imports from Russian Federation increased in this period from $819.5 million to $938.8 million. The Israeli imports from Russian Federation constituted 1.4% of all Israeli imports. (Diagram 6)


Exports from Israel to Russian Federation by Main Economic Activities

The Israeli exports to Russian Federation were mostly of crop production ($169 million), the manufacture of pharmaceutical products industry ($67 million) the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products industry ($66 million) and the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products industry ($64 million).

The most significant decrease in Israeli exports to Russian Federation between 2012 and 2016 were of the manufacture of pharmaceutical products industry that decreased by 71% and the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products industry that decreased by 42%.

Imports from Russian Federation to Israel by Main Economic Activities

The Israeli imports from Russian Federation were mostly of wholesale trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles ($543 million), extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas ($161 million) and working of diamonds ($83 million).

The most significant increase in Israeli imports from Russian Federation between 2012 and 2016 were of extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas that jumped to $161 million in 2016 after not having previously been imported at all and wholesale trade, except motor vehicles and motorcycles that increased by 35%. In contrast, imports of working of diamonds decreased by 65% over the same period.

Exports and imports of goods from Israel to Russian Federation by exporters and importers

Between the years 2012 to 2016, there number of exporters that traded with Russian Federation decreased by 20%. In 2016 there were 889 exporters that exported goods to Russian Federation compared with 1,114 in 2012 (Table C).

Table C. Number of exporters to Russian Federation by the export value 2012-2016
Percent change 2016/2012 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / Annual export value in dollars
-16% / 725 / 744 / 863 / 865 / 863 / 0-500,000
-29% / 65 / 84 / 88 / 98 / 92 / 500,001-1,000,000
-37% / 77 / 98 / 129 / 124 / 123 / 1,000,001-5,000,000
-47% / 10 / 9 / 20 / 30 / 19 / 5,000,001-10,000,000
-29% / 12 / 14 / 16 / 13 / 17 / 10,000,001+
-20% / 889 / 949 / 1,116 / 1,130 / 1,114 / Total exporters


Between the years 2012 to 2016, there was an 89% increase in the number of Israeli importers that traded with Russian Federation. In 2016 there were 1,711 importers that imported goods from Russian Federation compared with 906 in 2012 (table D). This increase was caused mostly by a 109% increase in the number of importers whose imports valued less than $500,000.

Table D. Number of importers from Russian Federation by the import value 2012-2016
Percent change 2016/2012 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / Annual import value in dollars
109% / 1,604 / 1,222 / 873 / 772 / 769 / 0-500,000
-9% / 29 / 36 / 33 / 36 / 32 / 500,001-1,000,000
-17% / 55 / 54 / 78 / 65 / 66 / 1,000,001-5,000,000
-48% / 11 / 6 / 15 / 17 / 21 / 5,000,001-10,000,000
-33% / 12 / 13 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 10,000,001+
89% / 1,711 / 1,331 / 1,015 / 907 / 906 / Total importers

In 2016, 41% of the total exports from Israel to Russian Federation were imported by the ten largest exporters to Russian Federation compared with 44% in 2012.

Despite the increase in the number of importers from Russian Federation to Israel, the level of concentration rose in the years between 2012 and 2016 and the percentage of imports imported by the ten largest importers from Russian Federation to Israel increased form 45% in 2012 to 69% in 2016.

The next Press Release on “Israel’s Foreign Trade by Country- July 2017, will be released on August 20, 2018.

Related links and publications Definitions and Explanations

2

Israel's Foreign Trade in Goods, by Country – June 2017 Publication date: 20/07/2017

[1]1 The above is based on temporary data regarding goods that cleared customs, not including trade between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In addition, the data do not include imports and exports of services (e.g. software). Data on all exports and imports of goods and services are published as part of the Balance of Payments, every quarter. 2016 data are final, 2017 are provisional.

[2]2 http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/?MIval=cw_usr_view_Folder&ID=141 (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[3]3 http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators&preview=on (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[4]4 http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators&preview=on (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[5]5 http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators&preview=on (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[6] http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[7] http://data.oecd.org/unemp/unemployment-rate.htm (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[8]8 http://comtrade.un.org (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

9 http://comtrade.un.org (retrieved on July 09, 2017).

[9]

[10] http://comtrade.un.org