Exports of goods rose by 6.5% in the 1st quarter: $ 14.5 billion

The rapid growth that characterized Israel's exports in 2017 continues in 2018. Exports of goods excluding diamonds rose by 6.5% in the first quarter of the year compared with the first quarter of last year, and totaled $ 12.6 billion, according to an analysis conducted by the Economic Unit of the Export Institute and the Ministry of Economics. Exports of goods, including diamond exports, totaled $ 14.5 billion, a 1.6% increase over the same period last year.

A summary of the quarter also shows that agricultural exports fell by 9% during this period, to $ 435 million. The export of components, which recorded a sharp drop of about 19% in 2017 (mainly because of the upgrading of the production line at Intel's plants), rose sharply by 60% compared to the volume of $ 1.5 billion in the first quarter last year, . Exports of chemicals, which rose by 13% in 2017, also increased by 18% in the first quarter of 2018 (totaling $ 2.3 billion).

In contrast to the trend that characterized exports in 2017, in which export of goods was positively affected by the increase in pharmaceutical exports and the decline due to the decline in exports of electronic components, the trend reversed in the first quarter of 2018. Exports of pharmaceuticals increased by 9% to $ 750 billion in the first quarter of the year, falling by 14% to $ 1.5 billion.

Exports in the other manufacturing industries were characterized by a significant positive trend. In fact, apart from the decline in exports of aircraft, a sweeping increase was recorded in all major export industries.

Of these industries: exports of electronic, computer, optical and medical equipment - the core index of high-tech exports, where most of the activity of most companies in the industrial high-tech sector is concentrated - increased by 14% compared to the corresponding quarter last year, Billion dollars; Exports of machinery and equipment - including exports of machinery in the field of agro-technology, alternative energy and clean water, irrigation, food, printing and robotics - rose by 12% to $ 1.55 billion; Exports of aircraft and transportation (subject to considerable volatility from period to period due to the nature of transactions and contracts signed in the export of the industry) declined sharply by 29% to $ 715 million, exports of rubber and plastic products rose by 11% The export of electrical equipment, which includes, among other things, exports of electrical and electronic equipment and systems, increased by 3.5% in the last three months compared with the previous year, and amounted to an export volume of approximately $ 260 million. The export of metals and metal products increased by 13% to $ 190 million, and exports of wood and paper products rose 5% to $ 140 million.