Importing products and goods to Israel - laws and requirements

When importing goods to Israel, one needs to follow some simple guidelines and laws to ensure fast and trouble free entry. Below are the laws and guidelines.

In Israel a system of administrative requirements and restrictions on imports is imposed and implemented as follows:

• Import Licence - Obtained mainly from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. An importer applying for an import licence must be an Israeli citizen or a company duly residing in Israel. The application must be submitted on an import licence application form together with the provisional order and a copy of the pro forma invoice or price quotation of the supplier or manufacturer abroad. (in Hebrew only)
• Special Certificate - Certificate issued to the importer by the competent authority: Ministry of Health for importation of drugs, Ministry of Transport for importation of cars, etc. This body will approve the import of goods as indicated in the certificate and under the terms specified therein. For a full list of government bodies. (in Hebrew and English only)
• Approval of Standards - Approval given to the importer stating that the goods meet the applicable standards requirements. The second schedule of the Free Import Regulation lists products imported to Israel which require approval by the SII (Standards Institution of Israel). Tests are performed to ensure that all products meet the set standards. Products are tested before they are imported and may also be tested on arrival to ensure that the shipment indeed contains the products which were examined and approved in the previous tests. (in Hebrew and English only)
• Labelling of Goods - Israel maintains regulations on product labelling and country of origin marking. All imports into Israel must bear a label showing the country of origin; the name and address of the manufacturer; the name and address of the Israeli importer; and the contents, weight and volume in metric units. All labels must be in Hebrew; English may be added provided the printed letters are not larger than those in Hebrew. There are also specific orders for various products requiring Hebrew markings on the product while it is still abroad. This includes items such as food products, beverages, cigarettes, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, ceramics, textiles and shoes.
• Kosher Certificates - Kosher certificates issued by the Chief Rabbinate are required in order to import food to Israel whenever the importer wishes to market food products with the Kosher marking on them.
• Import Quotas - Quotas have been set for a number of products (mainly agricultural). The quantities determined may be imported at a reduced customs duty or duty free.

II.

The taxes, directives and laws applying to goods imported to Israel are set forth in several laws, orders and customs treaties. Some of the main ones are outlined below:

• Free Import Regulation - Under the Licensing Order and Free Import Regulation, some goods imported to Israel must be licensed by the competent authority. Goods requiring an import licence are listed in the first schedule of the regulation. The second schedule of the regulation lists the goods that are subject to special requirements (marking, standardization, special certificate).
• Customs Ordinance - This ordinance lists all the processes and procedures for the release of imports (supervision, registration and bond, inspection storage of goods, determination of the value of goods for customs, etc).
• Customs Duties and Purchase Tax - Within the Israeli Customs Tariff, imports are classified according to Harmonized System (HS) codes made up of eight digits, and duties are paid/not paid according to the classification of the product. The combined customs and purchase tax tariff lists the classification of goods and the customs duties, purchase tax and TAMA (added percentage quota) levied on imports, and indicates whether the goods are subject to assurance charges and whether they require a certificate from the Standards Institution and an import licence.
• Collection of Customs Regulations - This collection lists the administrative regulations of the Customs administration regarding work processes and release of goods from customs.
• Levies on Commerce Order - This lists the levies on trade (dumping charges, countervailing duties, safeguard charges) based on the Trade Law of 1991 applicable to imports of certain goods.
• Consumer Protection Law - Certain requirements are imposed on importers, including all the regulations concerning Hebrew marking of goods manufactured locally or imported.
• Customs Treaties - Israel has signed a series of international customs treaties, such as the ATA-Carnet Convention, which covers imports of commercial samples.

Service providers in the import process

For all government offices websites
Website: www.gov.il/firstGov/topNavEng/Engoffices/EngMinistries

For special certificates from the Ministry of Health
Website: www.health.gov.il/english.htm

For the Ports and Railways Authority
Website: eng.israports.co.il/Pages/HomePage.aspx

For information on standards in Israel please visit the Standards Institution of Israel
Website: www.sii.org.il/20-EN/SII_EN.aspx

For information on Kosher certificates, consult the Rabbinate
Email achifa@rabbinate.gov.il
Tel.: 972-2-5313137/8
Fax:  972-2-5377873
Website: www.rabanut.gov.il/show_item.asp?levelId=61652  (in Hebrew only)

Chambers of Commerce import guide
Website: www.chamber.org.il/ContentsList.aspx?cat=942&type=1

Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development
Website: www.moag.gov.il/agri/services/kishurim_shimushim/English_links/

Ministry of Industry Tade & Labour
Website: www.moit.gov.il/NR/exeres/4839496D-02EA-465B-B260-D37F276EB1B9.htm

Israeli Department of Customs
Website: 147.237.72.111/customs/eng/mainpage.htm
Tel.: 011-972-2-670-3333
Fax: 011-972-2-625-8602   

The Israeli Plant Protection and Inspection Services, MOAG
Website: www.ppiseng.moag.gov.il/ppiseng/

Israeli Federation of Forwarders and Customs Agents
Website: www.iffcca.org.il/ (in Hebrew only)
Tel.: 011-972-3-563-1019
Fax: 011-972-3-561-9027

Tariffs and Market Access Information
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) through its Tariffs and Market Access Division (EAT) offers market access information to Canadian Exporters such as tariffs, taxes, rules of origin and some entry procedures. Market access and tariff information can be obtained by calling (613) 944-5070 or (613) 944-1569, fax: (613) 944-4840 or (613) 992-6002 or email: eat@dfait-maeci.gc.ca.

September 2010

Judaica Market flooded with heirloom treasures

The article below made news in 2009. However it's still an ongoing concern.

Sometime in January, the e-mails started coming more frequently, describing an 18th-century Polish silver candelabra here, an Italian bronze Hanukkah lamp there.

Jonathan Greenstein, chairman of auction house J. Greenstein & Co., was receiving two or three e-mails a week from people suddenly interested in selling antique Jewish heirlooms. He typically gets two or three a month at his Queens-based company, which specializes in the authentication and consignment of antique Judaica.

By the time he received word of a set of silver cups engraved with Hebrew letters indicating that they were smelted from coins given out by a long-dead grand rabbi, Mr. Greenstein suspected greater forces were at work. Clients soon confirmed the culprit: Bernard Madoff.

Auction houses are reporting a sharp increase in the number of antique Jewish artifacts being offered for spring auctions. Dealers who specialize in this niche say that the amount and quality of newly available items blows away offerings from past auction seasons.

“The Italian bronze menorah is magnificent,” says Mr. Greenstein. “I knew in my heart that this guy wanted to hand it down to his son and grandchildren.” Instead, it's listed in the June catalog.

Investments of all kinds have had a disappointing run lately, aside from the Madoff catastrophe. But while the economy at large has played a role in the flood of antiquities, many point to one definite villain.

“[Mr. Madoff's] reach of destruction was so unbelievable,” says Mr. Greenstein. “People are parting with things you know they wouldn't necessarily part with. It's heartbreaking.”

J. Greenstein's June auction already has more than 200 lots of antique Judaica, while its more typical auction size is about 130 lots.

The widow of the late Rabbi Alexander Schindler, one of the leaders of the modern Reform Jewish movement, consigned several items to Mr. Greenstein. The artifacts, with an estimated value exceeding $30,000, include a gilded silver and diamond Torah pointer crafted in the 1780s.

Elisa Schindler, the rabbi's eldest daughter, says her father first invested with Mr. Madoff in 1996.”Our hope,” she adds, “is that these sacred objects find a sacred home.”

The Prague Haggadah

Manhattan's kestenbaum & co., which specializes in rare manuscripts and Judaica, will have an auction on April 2 with a robust 328 lots. Chairman Daniel Kestenbaum declines to comment on consignors' motivations.

The most anticipated auction item at Kestenbaum is a book called the Prague Haggadah. It's one of five surviving books from a 1526 woodcut printing that's believed to be the first illuminated Jewish text printed in central Europe after the Jews were expelled from Spain. The last time a Prague Haggadah became available, more than a dozen years ago, it fetched $277,500 at Sotheby's in New York. The book's estimated value in the current market: $120,000 to $150,000.

Mr. Madoff's fraud also created a group of victims once removed, those who didn't invest in any Madoff-related funds but whose livelihoods are tied to those who did.

Abraham Kugielsky is the only one of 11 siblings to go into the 35-year-old family business: private sales of Jewish and Hebrew art and religious artifacts. Business has been crushingly slow lately, which he attributes to both the economy and the Madoff effect: His clientele would have included many Madoff investors.

“These collectors have been hurt financially, and they're not really buying anything unless it's very rare and they just can't pass on it,” he says.

As a result, Mr. Kugielsky finds himself reaching into his family's private collection for special items in order to raise money. “There's this 19th-century German menorah that I really didn't think I was going to sell, but sometimes you have no choice.”

Last summer, the menorah would have sold for as much as $6,000, he estimates. Now, with so much antique Judaica on the market, he'll feel lucky to get $4,000.

It's a cruel juxtaposition. Even as FBI investigators inventory the Madoff family's jewelry, art and antiques, many Madoff clients are doing the same: dusting off family heirlooms and assessing their collections.

“The market is a lot more challenging now,” says Mr. Kugielsky. “One thing's for sure: If anyone is able to buy, now is a great time. Prices are being kept fair and low.”

Article source: Crain's