West bank and gaza Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in west bank and gaza, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Market Challenges
Last published date:
  • The West Bank and Gaza remain highly dependent on Israeli supplies and export opportunities. Almost all Palestinian imports and exports must go through Israel or Israeli-controlled checkpoints. The Israeli government regularly adjusts operations on short notice in response to major security incidents. Import clearance through Israeli customs and routine Israeli security checks can also result in lengthy delays. 
  • The Second Intifada that began in the fall of 2000 significantly damaged the West Bank and Gazan economic and commercial environment. Movement of goods into and out of Palestinian markets has been heavily restricted ever since, despite the end of the intifada in 2005. 
  • The June 2007 takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas resulted in the closure of borders with Israel and Egypt and the cessation of most trade between Gaza and the outside world, including the West Bank. In addition, Israeli security restrictions on the movement and access of goods and people between the West Bank, Gaza, and external markets continue to have a damaging effect on the private sector and limit economic growth. Periodically, tensions escalate between Hamas and Israel that affect the Gaza Strip and opportunities in this market. 
  • The Palestinian economy is small and heavily influenced by political events.
  • The Standards Institute of Israel (SII) sets standards for all goods entering via Israel. Lengthy standards testing on products entering the West Bank and Gaza can delay shipments into Palestinian markets. The Palestine Standards Institution (PSI) plays a minor role because the Palestinian Authority (PA) has no control over borders and can only apply additional Palestinian standards on imports entering its areas.
  • In 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry signed “An Israel Import and Export Decree (Import Groups)” which eases the conformity assessment requirements for imported products subject to Israel Mandatory Standards. According to the Decree, an importer’s declaration needs to be based on a test report issued by a laboratory which is accredited by an accreditation body under International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation - ILAC. This reform makes it much easier to import many products based on an importer declaration. The process to implement this reform began in May 2021 and was completed in 2023.  
  • The inadequate provision of public goods including road infrastructure, utility networks, waste collection, and health provision across municipalities affect the welfare of the Palestinian economy.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility