New Ministry of Transport ordinance opened up the vehicle import market to parallel imports

The new ordinance will allow new motor vehicles to be imported commercially from overseas dealers and intermediaries, without direct contact with the manufacturers
 
Minister of Transport, Shaul Mofaz, signed last week a new ordinance which, for the first time, will allow the opening up of the vehicle import market to parallel imports.
 
The ordinance is the final stage in the vehicle import reform process first launched in 1999 in the wake of the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee, which aimed to remove the barriers from the vehicle import market.
 
The new ordinance will allow new motor vehicles to be imported commercially from overseas dealers and intermediaries, without direct contact with the manufacturers. It is understood that the threshold conditions that the Ministry of Transport has set for the granting of a parallel import permit will open this business initially for the big leasing and car rental firms.
 
It is also believed that existing vehicle importers, interested in importing rival brands, may also enter into this new field.