Israel Vehicle Imports Surge 123% in February as Dollar Weakens

The Israeli automotive market recorded exceptional growth last month. According to Israel Tax Authority Customs Directorate data, 29,729 private vehicles were imported in February 2026, compared to just 13,312 in February last year—a surge of 123.3%. The commercial vehicle sector also saw a positive trend with 1,050 vehicles imported, a 42.5% increase compared to the same period.

The sharp increase is attributed to a combination of two main factors: first, a significant decrease in the US Dollar exchange rate throughout February 2026, which improved import profitability for importers. The second factor is the "base effect"—February 2025 was characterized by particularly low import figures, following a massive pre-emptive import of vehicles (especially electric vehicles) in December 2024 to beat the update of the green taxation formula and the purchase tax hike that took effect in January 2025.

In the first two-month summary of 2026 (January-February), vehicle imports totaled 51,774 units, compared to 22,659 in the corresponding period in 2025 (a 128.5% increase). It should be noted that at the end of 2025, there was also some pre-emptive importing ahead of the electric vehicle purchase tax hike this past January, though at significantly lower volumes than those seen the previous year.

Customs trend data indicates that since the beginning of 2025, a moderate and consistent increase in passenger vehicle imports has been maintained, suggesting a certain stabilization in the local automotive market despite economic and security challenges.