Israel’s Central Statistics Office reports that Israel imported raw hides and skins worth US$800,000 in the first half of this year, compared with US$1.1 million in the same period in 2002. Israeli exports of the same types of commodities were worth US$3.4 million in the January to June period, the same as in the corresponding period last year.

First-half Israeli imports of leather and leather products were worth US$5.7 million, against US$8.2 million in 2002, while exports fell from US$1.3 million in the first half of last year to US$600,000 in the same period this year.