Manufacturers Association: school supplies from China up 30%

The $4.36 million in supplies imported in the first six months of the year includes 5.3 million pens, 325,000 notebooks, 2.5 million pencils, one million erasers
 
On the eve of the start of the new school year, the Manufacturers Association of Israel said that the import of school supplies from China has risen 30% compared to January-June 2006.
 
"Chinese items imported ahead of the school year starting in September are soaring, says Manufacturers Association VP Meir Bar-El.
 
The $4.36 million in supplies imported in the first six months of the year includes 5.3 million pens, 325,000 notebooks, 2.5 million pencils, one million erasers and 165,000 pencil sharpeners.
 
Also, imports of notebooks from Turkey and pens from Germany are way up.
 
Israel imports $12.4 million worth of pens a year and $1.5 million in pencils, mostly from Hong Kong.
 
Israel also imports much of such school supplies from Turkey. Bar-El noted that in January – June 2007 Israel imported 200,000 notebooks ( US$211,000) from Turkey.