Demand for Israel’s top 100 imported consumer goods in 2020 resulted in a subtotal US$32 billion worth of Israeli spending on the 100 most valuable consumer imports identified in this article.

That consumer-driven dollar amount translates to 46.2% of the overall value of all goods imported into Israel. Spending on all Israeli imports, including raw materials, intermediate products and semi-finished goods, totaled an estimated overall $69.2 billion in 2020.

Among Israel’s most valuable imported consumer products in 2020 are: cars, diamonds, phone devices including smartphones, medications and computers.

Located in Western Asia, the State of Israel is the world’s 33rd richest country in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of roughly US$45,000 on a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis.

Israel is home to the tenth-largest population in the Middle East given its 9.4 million residents as of October 2021.

Also making for a compelling consumer market is the fact that English is widely spoken and understood in Israel albeit Hebrew is the country’s official language.

Overall spending on all of Israel’s imported goods declined by -9.5% from 2019 to 2020. Israel’s purchases focused on its top 100 consumer imports decreased in value by a similar -9.5% over the latest annual period.

The deceleration in Israeli spending for key imported consumer products was more severe than the global average from 2019 to 2020, which was an average drop of -8.2% for all importing countries around the world.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Israel, 54 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas the remaining 46 declined.

Changes in Israeli consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Israel’s Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in Israel spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2019 to 2020 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Medications: US$2,012,572,000 (up 17.3%)
Processed petroleum oils: $1,097,167,000 (down -52.2%)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $453,115,000 (down -26.6%)
Frozen beef: $410,399,000 (down -10%)
Corn: $357,991,000 (up 5.4%)
Fish fillets, pieces: $324,315,000 (down -8.2%)
Other organic cleaning preparations: $288,394,000 (up 8.6%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $273,851,000 (up 9%)
Miscellaneous food preparations: $259,436,000 (down -0.8%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $247,151,000 (up 7%)
Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes: $240,566,000 (up 19.9%)
Petroleum gas: $232,283,000 (down -33.5%)
Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries: $198,500,000 (up 12.5%)
Fresh or chilled beef: $190,649,000 (up 16.5%)
Plastic wares (table, kitchen, toiletry): $189,822,000 (up 6.2%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: $180,376,000 (up 1.2%)
Perfumes, toilet waters: $176,579,000 (up 8.2%)
Soya beans: $170,716,000 (up 8.4%)
Miscellaneous nuts: $166,539,000 (down -2.3%)
Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): $165,548,000 (up 3.3%)
Sugar (cane or beet): $160,222,000 (up 4.5%)
Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners: $149,080,000 (down -1.6%)
Coffee: $139,937,000 (up 9.7%)
Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared): $121,859,000 (down -5.3%)
Waters with added sugar: $114,763,000 (up 22.3%)
Rice: $113,657,000 (down -2.5%)
Miscellaneous preserved fruits: $96,146,000 (up 8.3%)
Whole fish (fresh): $93,167,000 (down -6.8%)
Malt extract, food preparations: $87,559,000 (down -0.3%)
Barley: $79,749,000 (up 6.6%)
Cheese, curd: $76,103,000 (up 14.9%)
Apples, pears (fresh): $75,711,000 (up 25.1%)
Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates: $75,032,000 (up 7.1%)
Malt beer: $71,376,000 (up 15.2%)
Fruit and vegetable juices: $68,560,000 (down -3.6%)
Shaving preparations: $68,344,000 (up N/A)
Pasta: $66,596,000 (up N/A)

Convenience products led by the products listed above represent the Middle Eastern country’s most popular import product type attracting Israel’s international spending ahead of both shopping products and speciality goods.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Israel’s Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

Below, the list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in Israel spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Israeli spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2019 to 2020.

Cars: US$4,169,071,000 (down -17.9%)
Phones: $2,345,803,000 (up 7.8%)
Computers, optical readers: $1,783,333,000 (up 14.9%)
Trucks: $711,831,000 (down -18.4%)
Insulated wire/cable: $475,167,000 (down -10.4%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $433,395,000 (up 2.7%)
Electrical converters/power units: $412,078,000 (up 22.7%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $411,129,000 (up 4.9%)
Printing machinery: $364,830,000 (down -10.1%)
Miscellaneous textile items: $361,121,000 (up 535.9%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $326,652,000 (down -1.6%)
Automobile parts/accessories: $302,250,000 (down -2.3%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $283,372,000 (down -13.5%)
Footwear (leather): $271,334,000 (down -9.4%)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $253,571,000 (down -32.6%)
Rubber tires (new): $244,107,000 (down -0.1%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $243,281,000 (down -21.2%)
Computer parts, accessories: $215,335,000 (up 5.7%)
Orthopedic appliances: $213,705,000 (up 3.3%)
Microphones/headphones/amps: $212,528,000 (up 20.9%)
Miscellaneous toys: $188,839,000 (up 6.6%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $173,769,000 (down -12.6%)
Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): $170,378,000 (up 0.6%)
Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: $158,445,000 (down -4.5%)
Unrecorded sound media: $146,138,000 (down -7%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $145,076,000 (down -18.3%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $143,269,000 (up 1.6%)
Sports equipment: $124,012,000 (up 32.3%)
Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items: $121,398,000 (down -21.7%)
Motorcycles: $113,389,000 (down -11.5%)
Linens: $109,847,000 (down -2.1%)
Women’s clothing (knit or crochet): $109,628,000 (down -9.1%)
Footwear (rubber or plastic): $102,791,000 (down -12.5%)
Hair preparations: $100,447,000 (up 7.8%)
Footwear (textile): $98,555,000 (down -30%)
Felt, other non-woven garments: $92,883,000 (up 539.6%)
Vulcanized rubber items: $87,376,000 (down -3.8%)
Paper containers, cellulose wadding: $85,736,000 (up 12.8%)
Vulcanized rubber apparel: $81,199,000 (up 68.7%)
Wrist/pocket watches (regular case): $79,798,000 (down -16.2%)
Other pharmaceutical goods: $78,831,000 (up 4.3%)
Trailers: $75,384,000 (up 5.2%)
Women’s shirts (not knit or crochet): $72,311,000 (down -16.3%)
Video console games, table games: $70,900,000 (up 6.9%)
Paints, varnishes: $69,961,000 (up 3.9%)
Compasses, navigational aids: $67,114,000 (N/A)

Focusing on the scope of this analysis, shopping products is Israel’s second-most popular category behind convenience products but ahead of speciality items.

Shopping products approached half (46) of the overall top 100 Israeli imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Israel’s Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among Israel’s imports that attracted the country’s spending on imported consumer goods during 2020.

Selected at the four-digit Har monized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2020 compared to 2019.

Diamonds (unmounted/unset): US$2,831,188,000 (down -39.6%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $385,443,000 (up 12%)
Air conditioners: $332,390,000 (up 22.7%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $237,699,000 (up 0.7%)
Household base metal mountings: $228,426,000 (up 10.4%)
Jewelry: $225,864,000 (down -5.7%)
Liquid pumps: $214,403,000 (up 1.4%)
Electric generating sets, converters: $210,632,000 (up 17%)
Electric motors, not generating sets: $194,044,000 (down -0.3%)
Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines: $173,207,000 (up 9.2%)
Electric storage batteries: $149,522,000 (up 4.1%)
Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools: $131,833,000 (down -16.1%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $124,577,000 (down -7%)
Temperature-change machines: $123,280,000 (down -11.9%)
Vacuum cleaners: $102,957,000 (down -3.9%)
Washing machines: $91,771,000 (down -3.3%)
Electromechanic appliances: $71,015,000 (up 9.6%)

Like shopping products, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 63 of Israel’s 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 37 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Israel’s Overall Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Israel that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.

Felt, other non-woven garments: Up 539.6% (US$92.9 million)
Miscellaneous textile items: Up 535.9% ($361.1 million)
Vulcanized rubber apparel: Up 68.7% ($81.2 million)
Sports equipment: Up 32.3% ($124 million)
Fresh apples or pears: Up 25.1% ($75.7 million)
Air conditioners: Up 22.7% ($332.4 million)
Electrical converters or power units: Up 22.7% ($412.1 million)
Waters with added sugar: Up 22.3% ($114.8 million)
Microphones, headphones, amplifiers: Up 20.9% ($212.5 million)
Cigars, cigarellos, cigarettes: Up 19.9% ($240.6 million)

There are 6 fastest-growers categorized as imported shopping products that consumers can store or re-use over time. The shopping products are non-woven garments including those made felt, miscellaneous textile items, vulcanized rubber apparel, sports equipment, electrical converters or power units, then microphones, headphones and amplifiers.

Three of the remaining front-runners are considered as one-time usage (non-durable) imported convenience products. Fastest growers among these are fresh apples or pears, waters with added sugar, and cigars, cigarellos or cigarettes.

One among the above top 10 gainers is a speciality product, namely air conditioners.

Israel’s Overall Worst-Declining Consumer Imports

Spending by import buyers in Israel on the following 10 items decreased in value by the highest percentages from 2019 to 2020.

Processed petroleum oils: Down -52.2% (US$1.1 billion)
Diamonds (unmounted/unset): Down -39.6% ($2.8 billion)
Compasses, other navigational aids: Down -34.3% ($67.1 million)
Petroleum gas: Down -33.5% ($232.3 million)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: Down -32.6% ($253.6 million)
Textile footwear: Down -30% ($98.6 million)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: Down -26.6% ($453.1 million)
Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items: Down -21.7% ($121.4 million)
Unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing: Down -21.2% ($243.8 million)
Trucks: Down -18.4% ($711.8 million)

Five categories among Israel’s top 10 severest decliners are durable shopping products used over a period of time. The severest slippages among those categories were for Israel’s imports of miscellaneous items made from iron or steel, textile footwear, items made from hot-rolled or non-alloy steel, unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing, then trucks.

There were 3 items categorized as one-use convenience products namely processed petroleum oils, petroleum gas and coal-related solid fuels among Israel’s 10 major import decliners from 2019 to 2020.

The 2 top-declining convenience products for Israel year over year are diamonds and navigational aids including compasses.

Key Suppliers by Country

The following analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of Israel’s top consumer import products.

Israel’s biggest imported consumer product by value is cars. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into Israel are unmounted diamonds, phone devices including smartphones, medications, and computers.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for Israel’s imported:

Cars: Japan (19.2% of total), South Korea (14.9%), Turkey (14.3%), Czech Republic (9.7%), Spain (6.1%), United Kingdom (5.1%), United States (4.8%), Germany (4.7%), France (3.6%), and Hungary (2.7%).

Diamonds: Belgium (19.8% of total), India (19.5%), Russia (10.4%), United States (7.1%), Hong Kong (7%), Switzerland (3.7%), Sri Lanka (2.7%), Singapore (1.8%), Thailand (1.1%), and Canada (1%).

Phone devices including smartphones: China (43.3% of total), Vietnam (19%), United States (7%), Hong Kong (5.8%), India (5%), Taiwan (3.2%), South Korea (2.8%), Mexico (1.7%), Malaysia (1.5%), and Germany (1%).

Medications: United States (20.3% of total), Germany (18.2%), Ireland (9.7%), United Kingdom (6.8%), Switzerland (6.6%), Italy (5.2%), France (5%), Denmark (4.7%), Spain (4.3%), and Sweden (2.4%).

Computers: China (50% of total), United States (11.9%), Czech Republic (7.5%), Ireland (5.8%), Taiwan (5%), Hungary (3.5%), Netherlands (2.9%), Germany (1.61%), Thailand (1.6%), and United Kingdom (1.5%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational sources.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Israel Economy.

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Richest Country Reports, Top 50 Richest Countries by GDP per Capita.

Trading Economics, Israel Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

Wikipedia, Israel, Geography of Israel, Languages of Israel.

World’s Top Exports, Israel’s Top 10 Imports.