According to the World Bank "Doing Business in 2006: Creating Jobs" report, published last week, Israel ranked 29th among 155 countries for business friendliness. The World Bank’s ease-of-doing-business index ranks 155 economies worldwide

Following complaints raised by Jordanian exporters, concerning long delays at Jordan river border crossing, the port of Haifa decided last week to extend free storage period for Jordanian export containers, from 4 to 6 days

Maman air cargo terminal announced last week that it was about to conclude an agreement with an un-named American company for the setting up of a joint company which will operate a cargo terminal at NY's JFK airport

US Trade Representative Robert Portman said last week that the US and Saudi Arabia had concluded negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement that will enable Saudi Arabia to join the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Israeli officials expressed last week deep concerns following reports that the Palestinians had breached the borders of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Authority tax envelope

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry and the Israeli Minister of Industry have both put forward a forma request to the US government to expand the qualifying industrial zone agreement for tax exemption on joint exports

Figures published last week by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor show that net exports of polished diamonds (after deducting returns) rose from $390 million in August 2004 to $448 million in August 2005, a 15% increase

Manufacturers Association's Food Industries Association chairman Ron Kobrovsky said last week that in the first half of 2005 food exports rose by 15.7% to $343.4 million