Browse Data and Analysis

Israel does not have a policy restricting the use of imported genetically engineered (GE) commodities or derivative products. There are no changes in Israel’s policy towards plant, animal biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology since 2023.

The beef sector in Israel is growing and is heavily reliant upon imports. Israel’s lack of grazing land for cattle and an increasing population are the main factors contributing to the growth in demand for beef imports.

With over 2,500 facilities, the Israeli food processing sector is an important player in the domestic economy. In 2022, Israeli food processors' annual revenue stood at $23.19 billion.

This report supplements GAIN report IS2-24-0020: Israel Adopts Additional European Union Standards for Agricultural Imports and includes translations of the documents from Hebrew to English referenced in the report.

On August 4, 2024, the Government of Israel published the “Tenth Amendment to the Protection of Public Health (Food) – 2015” legislation under the Food Reform Law, which adopted more than 40 new food directives and regulations aligning with European Union standards.

Israel is a net importer of all major categories of food products. The Israeli food retail sector was estimated to be $20.7 billion in 2023, and during the same year, Israel imported around $4.96 million of consumer-oriented products.

The Exporter Guide provides an economic and market overview, as well as demographic trends and practical tips for U.S. exporters on how to conduct business in Israel.

This report lists and describes certificates and other documentation required by the Government of Israel for U.S. exporters exporting food and agricultural products to Israel.

The Government of Israel is in the process of a legislation reform across multiple ministries, including reforms related to food. If the reforms are passed in the Israeli parliament, the reform will continue to adopt numerous European Union food standards with some exclusions.

Türkiye, Israel’s third largest foreign supplier of imported agricultural and related products, recently announced a ban on all trade with Israel due to the regional conflict. Accordingly, Israeli importers may look to source certain agricultural imports from elsewhere.

Since March 25, 2024, the Government of Israel has notified the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) several times on regulatory proposals related to European Standards.

FAS/Tel Aviv (Post) forecasts Israel’s marketing year (MY) 2024/45 wheat imports to increase due a decline in domestic production, a need to increase stocks because of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as lower international grain prices.