FX.co ★ Israel Trade Balance Widens

Israel recorded a trade deficit of $3.11 billion in March 2026, widening from $2.8 billion in the same month a year earlier. It was the largest March deficit since 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a sharp increase in energy imports—an even bigger surge than the one driven by the current energy crunch linked to the war between Israel and Iran. Imports edged up 0.8% year-on-year to $8.4 billion, driven by higher purchases of fuels (up 24.6% to $799 million) and capital goods (up 14.1% to $1.5 billion). Exports declined 4.3% from a year earlier to $5.3 billion, weighed down by lower sales of manufactured goods (down 3.1% to $5.0 billion).