Israel’s trade balance recorded a deficit of USD 3.69 billion in May 2026, widening from USD 3.35 billion from the corresponding month of the previous year.
Exports surged by 38% year-on-year to USD 6.05 billion, reaching the highest since March 2022, led by increases in shipments from the manufacturing, mining, and quarrying sectors excluding diamonds (42.3%) and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (24.2%).
Meanwhile, imports rose by 25.9% to USD 9.74 billion, the highest level in four years, driven by higher purchases of fuels (75%), raw materials (23%), and investment goods (19.8%).
For the first five months of the year, the country’s trade deficit expanded to USD 19.13 billion compared to USD 15.01 billion a year earlier.
