China and India are Israel's two major destinations of exports in the east. Last year, the two countries recorded an impressive growth in exports.
Israel and China established diplomatic relations in 1992, and at that time the total trade between China and Israel stood at about $50 million. In 2001 the total trade amount was over $1 billion, and this year the total trade stands at $7 billion.
The volume of trade between Israel and India in 2009 was about $3 billion, of which about $1.8 billion was in exports and $1.2 billion in imports.
The three-year program was formulated by the joint committee after Prime Minister Netanyahu had instructed the Ministries of Finance and Industry to examine ways to increase exports to East Asia. The total investments through the program will be about 100 million shekels and it is intended to help realize the commercial potential in the Chinese and Indian markets.
Israel’s Foreign Trade Policy includes the definition of China and India's as target countries for trade due to their rapid economic growth, which poses great opportunities for the Israeli economy and which constitutes an enormous potential for Israeli companies.
The Ministry of Industry, Labor and Trade conducted comprehensive consultations with representatives from the trade industry in recent months in order to build the program. The program is designed for SMEs who have proven excellence and innovation in their fields of activity.
Shani said of the program: “The plan presented today is the first component of a series of measures to support increasing trade with China and India and is coming out of a strategic economic grasp their place in the global economic map. Future steps will emphasize the relative advantages of Israel, in innovation, higher education and entrepreneurship.”
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The 10-day trip, criticized by some quarters in his home state for its $141,000 price tag, not including private support from businesses, will take the governor and his entourage to London on a five-day through Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
He met with El Al Airline officials Monday morning and requested a direct route to Boston, which he said would help reduce unemployment in Massachusetts.
One Massachusetts television station sent a reporter to cover his trip, and most local media have cited Israel as the number two country for high-technology, which Gov. Patrick hopes to tap for jobs.
The Massachusetts trade delegation also will meet with leaders in the fields of life science, clean energy, education and venture capital to try to forge new partnerships.
The governor faces criticism at home for leaving behind a debate on expanded gambling as well as his problems with a bloated deficit and an angry union protest over health care reform plans.
One Boston newspaper heaped criticism on the trip, noting that the budget includes nearly $22,000 for meals and more than $60,000 on accommodations in Israel, in addition to expenditures in Britain.
