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Duties on Milk Cut Ahead of Jewish Holidays
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich allows duty-free milk imports ahead of Jewish holidays to prevent shortages. Israeli dairy industry faces challenges.
Jerusalem, 28 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed an order Wednesday allowing the import of milk duty-free for a period of six months. The move was made in response to the Israel Dairy Council’s announcement that the local dairy industry will have difficulty meeting demand for regulated milk during the upcoming Jewish holidays that begin at the end of September.
The Ministry of Finance explained that this year the holidays fall in the middle of the week, which reduces working and production days at dairies, and as a result, along with the increasing demand, will create much larger shortages.
“This is a vital step aimed at expanding supply and reducing the risk of shortages, especially during the holidays,” said the Ministry in a statement.
The Ministry of Finance noted that the phenomenon of shortages in dairy products is recurring, and stems from “distortions and structural failures in the local dairy industry – fundamental issues that the Minister of Finance is determined to address thoroughly.”
