(Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about his new tariff policy, two senior Israeli officials said on Friday, as Israel seeks to minimise the impact of the threatened U.S. measures.
As part of a sweeping new tariff policy announced by Trump, unspecified Israeli goods exports to the United States face a 17% tariff. The U.S. is Israel’s closest ally and largest single trading partner.
Netanyahu raised the issue in his phone call with Trump on Thursday, the Israeli officials said, while on a visit to Hungary. “Most of it can be solved,” one of the senior officials said.
An Israeli finance ministry official said on Thursday that Trump’s latest tariff announcement could impact Israel’s exports of machinery and medical equipment.
Israel had already moved to cancel its remaining tariffs on U.S. imports on Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago and around 98% of goods from the U.S. are now tax-free.
(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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