Free trade agreements of Israel

The negotiations for the FTA began in 1 January 1984 after discussions between the former American president Ronald Reagan and the former Israeli prime minister Itzhak Shamir in November 1983.

The negotiations between Israel and the European Community began on December 1993, signed on 20 November 1995 and came into force on 1 June 2000.

Negotiations on additional agricultural trade agreement between the EU and Israel began in 2008, signed on 20 October 2009, and came into force on January 2010.

[44][45] On 20 November 2012 Israel and the EU signed the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial, giving good manufacturing practice exemption to the Israeli medical industry and easing the export of medical goods from Israel to the European Union.

[46][47] In 2002 Israel began the Operation Defensive Shield due to the murder of approximately 730 Israeli civilians and tourists in different terror attacks during the Second Intifada.

Some politicians of the European Parliament called to suspend the Association Agreement, as the EU member state were 15 during 2002.

[48] After the 7th October massacre in 2023 made by Hamas and other Palestinians and the start of the ground operation, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium questioned the agreements with Israel.

But most EU countries as, Finland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece were against such actions from Josep Borrell, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium against Israel.

[61][62] After the 7th October massacre in 2023 made by Hamas and other Palestinians and the start of the ground operation, Turkey decided to stop exports to Israel on may the third 2024 ruled by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

[80] The FTA was signed During state visit of the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to Israel on 21 January 2019 alongside the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

[88][89][90] Due to Brexit, the United Kingdom withdrew from the free trade agreement between the EU and Israel.

[92] Israel and South Korea have signed a free trade agreement on 12 May 2021 to improve investments, removing barriers, and other topics.

The UAE predicted the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement would boost annual bilateral trade to more than $10 billion within five years.

[100][101][102] The agreement between Guatemala and Israel which was signed on 8th September 2022 and came into force on the first of March 2024 covers the following in order to promote relations and trade:[103][104] Early discussion on free trade agreement took place in 2013 during a visit to Vietnam by Israeli delegation of Israeli agricultural technology companies with the Israel Export Institute.

December 2015 a Vietnamese delegation including the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoàng Trung Hải visited Israel and meet with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which a statement on negotiations on free trade agreement was given.

[116][117] Memorandum of Understanding on negotiations for free trade agreement was signed on 29 March 2023 in Israel between the Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, Manuel Tovar and the Minister of Economy and Industry of Israel, Nir Barkat.

The Russian annexation and occupation of Crimea, and other Ukrainian territories in eastern Ukraine could lead to problems regarding rules of origin.

[132][133][134] Declaration on launching a joint feasibility study was signed on 10 May 2018 between the ministers of economy of Israel and Georgia.

[135][136][137] During visit to Israel on May 2023 of the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, the declaration on completion of the technical and economic feasibility study for a free trade agreement was signed on 2 May 2023.

[140] The Georgian Ambassador to Israel, Lasha Zhvania, set the start of the negotiations to take place in 2024.

[145][146][147][148] During the Israel-India Business Summit 2025 the Israeli Minister of Economy and Trade Nir Barkat said that Israel and India are heading towards signing the agreement.

[154][155] Before the visit of the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Moldova, the Israeli Minister of Economy and Trade Nir Barkat and Ambassador of Moldova to Israel Alexandr Roitman meet on 29 July 2023 to discuss free trade agreement between the countries.

[156][157][158] Eli Cohen visited Moldova on 8 August 2023 and signed the agreement to start FTA negotiations with the Moldavan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu.