Israel moves to drop all tariffs on U.S. imports ahead of Trump tariff moves

The Israeli government on Tuesday moved to immediately eliminate all remaining import tariffs on American goods ahead of a Wednesday announcement from President Donald Trump in which he is expected to unveil a broad American tariff policy.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed the order with the support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the Knesset Finance Committee must still approve it, according to the Times of Israel.

“Fully eliminating tariffs on imports from the US is an important step to safeguard the Israeli economy during a sensitive period and to strengthen the economic relationship with our most important ally – the US,” Smotrich said.

“The goal of the move is to promote a zero-tariff policy between the countries and maintain positive trade relations with the US,” he added.

Trump has yet to clarify whether he will seek a universal 20% tariff on all imports or adopt a reciprocal approach of matching the tariff rates of other nations, though the Wall Street Journal has quoted him as confirming he has made up his mind in private.