Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaga planned a visit to Washington on April 7 to meet US President Donald Trump and discuss new customs tariffs imposed on Israel. This can be the first visit of a foreign leader to discuss new trade restrictions, AXIOS reports with reference to sources.
According to sources, Netanyag's visit to the White House should be the first case where a foreign leader meets Trump to personally discuss customs tariffs and possibly agree on their cancellation or change. Since the Trump's tariffs have a significant impact on the Israeli economy, the Israeli Prime Minister wants to find a solution to this issue.
Trump has imposed a duty on most of the US goods from other countries, including Israel. Israel tried to avoid such duties by introducing measures to reduce bilateral trade shortages with the United States, but could not completely avoid new restrictions.
The Customs Tariff, which was set for Israel, is 17% and is part of Trump's overall strategy to increase economic barriers with countries that have a deficit in trade relations with the United States. These tariffs threaten economic relations between countries and are alarming in Israel.
Netanyaga's visit to the United States should also be an opportunity to discuss other important issues, including the Iranian nuclear program and the conflict in the Gaza Sector. Iran remains one of the greatest threats to Israel, and Trump and Netanyaga will probably discuss strategies to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In addition, they cannot be excluded that they will affect the topics of the conflict in the Gaza sector, where the situation remains tense, and Israel is actively working on safety for their citizens.
This is not the first time the Israeli Prime Minister appeals to Trump on economic policy. Israel has a strategically important relations with the United States, and during Trump's presidency, this relationship has increased significantly, in particular due to the support of Trump in security and economics.
In particular, Trump's decision to transfer the US Embassy to Jerusalem has become a significant moment in relations between the two countries. Now, when it comes to customs tariffs, Netanyaga seeks to find a compromise to prevent the negative economic consequences for Israel.
Despite the fact that customs tariffs can create problems for Israel, the Prime Minister hopes that during this meeting he will be able to persuade Trump to reduce or abolish these restrictions. In particular, Israel hopes that this will develop bilateral trade on mutually beneficial conditions.
In addition to customs tariffs, Trump and Netanyaga will probably discuss issues related to security in the region, including US plans for Iran. Israel wants to get US support in confrontation with a potential nuclear threat to Iran, as well as in solving many other security issues that are key to Israel.
