Browse Data and Analysis

Saudi Arabia has published numerous regulations and standards over the years. While many of these regulations (both mandatory and voluntary) were notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO), most were immediately implemented making it difficult for U.S. exporters to adjust or comment.

Saudi Arabia is a major market ($1.55 billion) for U.S. food and agricultural products, and there are plenty of opportunities to export a wide range of new-to-market U.S. food products.

Türkiye, Israel’s third largest foreign supplier of imported agricultural and related products, recently announced a ban on all trade with Israel due to the regional conflict. Accordingly, Israeli importers may look to source certain agricultural imports from elsewhere.

Since March 25, 2024, the Government of Israel has notified the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) several times on regulatory proposals related to European Standards.

FAS/Tel Aviv (Post) forecasts Israel’s marketing year (MY) 2024/45 wheat imports to increase due a decline in domestic production, a need to increase stocks because of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as lower international grain prices.

With the development of several billion-dollar projects and nearly 30 million visitors a year, the future for U.S. grain exports is bright. Post anticipates Saudi rice imports to increase approximately five percent over the next several years due to expansions in the food service sector.

In January 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Health’s National Food Services found that cultivated beef is “safe for human consumption.”

Israel’s planted citrus area in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 is forecast to be 16,200 hectares (ha), the same as MY 2022/23. The production area is estimated at 15,850 ha due to low profitability and water shortages, which has disincentivized farmers to plant new citrus crops.

The exporter guide provides an economic and market overview, as well as demographic trends and practical tips for U.S. exporters on how to conduct business in Israel.

Israel has no policy restricting the use of imported genetically engineered (GE) commodities or derivative products. There have been no changes in Israel’s policy towards plant, animal biotechnology, and microbial biotechnology since 2022.

In 2022, the Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector experienced new difficulties with high inflation rates, a lack of employees seeking more lucrative jobs, and price increases for raw materials, energy, labor and rent, which drove...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients.