Despite the global economic crisis, Israeli-Palestinian trade has been steadily growing and reached NIS 20 billion in 2008. This included NIS 14.6 billion of domestic trade and NIS 4.6 billion in Palestinian imports and exports through Israeli ports, according to figures presented by the Customs Administration of the Israel Tax Authority to Palestinian businessmen at a conference at the Allenby Bridge border terminal.
Israeli-Palestinian trade continued to grow in the first half of 2009. The Tax Authority said that the Allenby terminal handles 1.5 million people and NIS 500 million worth of cargo a year, a figure that has been growing steadily for years.
Israeli domestic trade with the Palestinian Authority rose by 28% to NIS 14.6 billion in 2008 from NIS 11.4 billion in 2006, and Palestinian imports and exports through Israeli ports rose 12% to NIS 4.6 billion from NIS 4.2 billion.
40 Palestinian businessmen, as well as representatives from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israeli Airports Authority, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, and Civil Administration attended the meeting.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 26, 2009
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