Kibbutz industry : Record 2004 export - $1.82b

Mrs. Shlomit Arbel, Kibbutz Industries Association's chief economist said last week that in 2004 industrial exports by kibbutzim grew 13.4% to a record $1.82 billion (NIS 8.2 billion), while industrial exports as a whole, excluding diamonds, grew 17.5% to $23.6 billion, of which kibbutzim accounted for 7.7%.
 
In the last decade, industrial exports by the kibbutzim experienced continuous growth. In 1995 the industry exported $1.04 billion. Since then export grew annually but 2004 was, according to Arbel, the best ever export year.
 
Kibbutz Industries Association general manager Mr. Amos Rabin noted that the industry suffered a great deal because of the long port strike. "Had the strike not taken place the industry could have reached better results".
 
According to Rabin The leading kibbutz export industry is plastics. Plastics exports grew in 2004 16.6% to $831 million, food exports were up 6.2% to $300 million, metal and machinery exports rose 15% to $263 million, exports of minerals and construction materials grew 66% to $54 million.
 
He added that the main target market for kibbutz industry is the European Union, which accounted for exports of $903 million ( 50% of total export ), North America ($412 million 23%), Asia ($158 million 9%), Eastern Europe, Africa, Oceania, and South and Central America.