Israel ended certain tariffs on goods made in the United States ahead of President Donald Trump launching reciprocal tariffs across the world.
The Tuesday directive from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made clear that all remaining tariffs on American items would be immediately nixed, according to The Times of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Economy Minister Nir Barkat worked to issue the move, which must still be greenlit by the Finance Committee in the Knesset, the unicameral parliament in Israel.
Smotrich sent a letter on March 20 to colleagues asking for the removal of remaining tariffs on the United States, especially in the agriculture sector.
“Fully eliminating tariffs on imports from the U.S. is an important step to safeguard the Israeli economy during a sensitive period and to strengthen the economic relationship with our most important ally — the U.S.,” Smotrich said on Tuesday, per the Times.
“We will continue to act decisively to protect Israeli exports and preserve the competitive advantages of Israel in the international arena,” he added.
“The goal of the move is to promote a zero-tariff policy between the countries and maintain positive trade relations with the U.S.”
Tariffs on most manufactured goods between