Browse Data and Analysis

The report lists and describes certificates that should accompany food and agricultural products to Israel. It also includes the purpose of each certificate and the governmental agency responsible. In general, an original invoice, bill of lading, packing list, weighing list, health certificate, batch number certificate, invoice declaration, and insurance certificate are required to accompany any shipment. An export certificate matrix is included in this report.

In June 2022, Israel authorized the import of U.S. processed meat products, thus making the United States the first and only country with market access for processed meat products in Israel.

To assist U.S. exporters, FAS Tel Aviv has translated Israel’s limits on heavy metals in foodstuffs.

High cost and freight (CFR) world barley prices have drastically reduced the demand for barley in Saudi Arabia, and contributed to the increased demand for domestically processed animal feed. For MY2021/22, Post projects total Saudi barley imports at...

Israel is a net importer of all major categories of food products. The United States is the top leading supplier of imported consumer-oriented agricultural products to Israel with a total of $384 million in 2020. The Israel food retail sector was estimated at $12.8 billion in 2021.

Over the past several years, Saudi Arabia published quite a few new regulations and standards, some of which were notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Unfortunately, many of these standards were notified and immediately implemented, missing the opportunity to engage with international stakeholders and making it difficult for U.S. exporters to adjust.

The major export certificates required by Saudi Arabia’s regulatory and import control agencies are included in this Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) - Certificates Report. These certificates are required for the importation of food and agricultural products into the Kingdom. Information in this report supplements the FAIRS Annual Country Report.

U.S. exports of consumer-oriented food products to Saudi Arabia decreased four percent in 2021, compared to 2020, to approximately $535 million mainly due to shipping issues (e.g., fewer cargo ships, higher costs, etc.) throughout the year. Unfortunately, this trend is expected to continue throughout 2022.

Saudi Arabian barley imports totaled approximately 2.63 million metric tons (MMT) during the eight months of the marketing year (MY) 2021/2022, which is a decrease of approximately 41 percent compared to the same time period last year.

The Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO) projects domestic wheat production at 700,000 metric tons (MT) in MY 2021/2022, up approximately 17 percent from USDA’s official estimate of 600,000 MT. Experts anticipate local domestic wheat production could reach 1 million metric tons (MMT) in MY 2022/2023 to offset expected import delays from Russia and Ukraine as a result of the ongoing war.

Israel is highly dependent on agricultural and food imports. Due to its limited arable land and water resources, the country’s dependence will only increase.

FAS Tel Aviv (Post) forecasts Israel’s wheat imports to reach 1.74 million metric tons (MMT) in market year (MY) 2022/23, a 2 percent increase from Post’s MY 2021/22 figure. In MY 2021/22, U.S. wheat accounted for 8.2 percent of the market, up 55 percent from the previous year.