That dollar amount results from a -2.3% slowdown from $60.2 billion five years earlier in 2021 and a -2.5% year-over-year drop from $60.3 billion in Israeli exports during 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, the Israeli shekel appreciated by 6.6% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. Israel’s stronger local currency compared to 2024 makes its exports paid for in weaker US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.
Israel’s Main Trading Partners
The latest available country-specific data shows that 63.5% of products exported from Israel was bought by importers in: United States of America (27.4% of the Israeli total), Germany (5.2%), mainland China (4.7%), Netherlands (4.5%), India (4.2%), Hong Kong (3.3%), Ireland (2.61%), United Kingdom (2.59%), France (2.4%), Belgium (2.3%), Italy (2.2%) and Brazil (2.1%).
From a continental perspective, 36.2% of Israel’s exports by value was delivered to European countries while 32.4% was sold to importers in North America.
Israel shipped another 25.5% worth of goods to customers in Asia.
Smaller percentages went to buyers in Latin America (3.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.2%) then Oceania (1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Israel’s population of 10.1 million people, its total US$58.8 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $5,825 for every resident in the Middle Eastern country. That dollar metric lags the average $6,150 per person one year earlier in 2024.
Israel’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Israeli global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Israel.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: US$13.6 billion (23.1% of total exports)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $7.8 billion (13.3%)
- Machinery including computers: $5 billion (8.5%)
- Gems, precious metals: $4.96 billion (8.4%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $3.9 billion (6.7%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $2.5 billion (4.3%)
- Arms, ammunition: $2.4 billion (4%)
- Other chemical goods: $2.1 billion (3.6%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $1.7 billion (3%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $1.6 billion (2.7%)
Israel’s top 10 exports generated over three-quarters (77.7%) of the overall value of global Israeli shipments.
Arms and ammunition represents the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 35.4% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was optical, technical and medical apparatus via a 5.7% advance.
Israel’s shipments of electrical machinery and equipment posted the remaining gain in value, up by 5.6%.
The leading decliner among Israel’s top 10 export categories were miscellaneous chemical goods, recording a -28.7% year-over-year decline.
At the detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level and based on the available 2024 data, the most valuable Israeli exports were electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies (9.4% of Israel’s total exports), unmounted diamonds (9.2%), electro-medical equipment such as xrays (4.3%), phone devices including smartphones (3.8%), chemical industry products or residuals (3.3%), miscellaneous measuring and testing machines (2.8%), medication mixes in dosage (2.3%), fertilizer mixes (2%), aircraft or spacecraft (1.8%) then parts for aircraft or spacecraft (1.4%).
Products Generating Israel’s Highest Trade Surpluses
The following types of Israeli product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: US$3.8 billion (Up by 2.6% since 2024)
- Arms, ammunition: $2.3 billion (Up by 39.2%)
- Fertilizers: $1.5 billion (Down by -2.6%)
- Gems, precious metals: $1.5 billion (Down by -38.2%)
- Other chemical goods: $1.1 billion (Down by -45%)
- Tin: $954.7 million (Reversing a -$2.6 million deficit)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $849.8 million (Down by -42.1%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $795 million (Up by 4.8%)
- Inorganic chemicals: $689.6 million (Up by 7.1%)
- Base metal tools, cutlery: $625.9 million (Up by 1.7%)
Israel has highly positive net exports in the international trade of products under the optical, technical and medical apparatus category as well as the arms and ammunition grouping. In turn, those cashflows indicate Israel’s strong competitive advantages under both product categories.
Products Causing Israel’s Highest Trade Deficits
Israel racked up a -US$36.7 billion product trade deficit for 2025, expanding by 16.1% from the -$31.6 billion in red ink one year earlier during 2024.
Below are exports from Israel that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Israel’s goods trail Israeli importer spending on foreign products.
- Vehicles: -US$8.2 billion (Down by -6.5% since 2024)
- Machinery including computers: -$6.5 billion (Up by 30.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$4 billion (Down by -19.9%)
- Iron, steel: -$2.5 billion (Up by 34%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$2.3 billion (Up by 27.5%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$1.5 billion (Up by 10.8%)
- Meat: -$1.3 billion (Up by 24.6%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$1.19 billion (Up by 4%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$1.16 billion (Down by -18.8%)
- Cereals: -$1 billion (Up by 9.7%)
Israel has highly negative net exports and therefore a deep international trade deficit for automobiles, machinery including computers, and mineral fuels-related energy products.
Israeli Export Companies
Ten Israeli corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the world-class Israeli companies that Forbes included:
- Bank Hapoalim (financial institution)
- Bank Leumi (financial institution)
- Check Point Software (information systems)
- Delek Group (investment services)
- FIBI Holdings (regional bank)
- IDB Holding (investment services)
- Israel Corp (investment services)
- Israel Discount Bank (regional bank)
- Mizrahi Tefahot Bank (regional bank)
- Teva Pharmaceutical (health care)
Shown within parentheses is the industry in which each country operates.
In macroeconomic terms, Israel’s total exported goods represent 10.3% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($570 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 10.3% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 11.3% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Israel’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Israel’s unemployment rate averaged 2.975% in 2025, up from an average 2.9% one year earlier during 2024 according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
Israel’s capital city is Jerusalem.
See also USA vs Israel Inter-Country Trade Report, Israel’s Top 10 Imports, Israel’s Top Trading Partners, Palestine’s Top 10 Exports, Lebanon’s Top 10 Exports and Diamond Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Middle East: Israel. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 13, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 13, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Wikipedia, Israel. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Israel. Accessed on May 13, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on May 13, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Israeli Shekel to US Dollar (monthly average 2025)