JERUSALEM, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel's trade deficit in goods widened by 13.5 percent year-on-year during the first eight months of 2026, according to a report released by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
According to the data, the deficit reached 103.1 billion shekels (about 33.8 billion U.S. dollars) in January-August, up from 90.8 billion shekels during the same period last year.
Exports fell 3.5 percent year-on-year to 125.2 billion shekels, led by a sharp drop in diamond sales, while imports rose by roughly the same rate, the report said.
The bureau attributed the widening gap to the decline in overall exports, alongside stronger demand for industrial raw materials, consumer products, and investment goods, which combined outpaced export revenues and further widened the trade imbalance.
