Imports: total value: $28.6 billion (c.i.f., 1997) commodities: military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, consumer goods partners: EU 52%, US 20%, Japan (1996)
Debt-external: $18.7 billion (1997)
Economic aid: recipient: $1.2 billion (1997) from the US
Currency: 1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates: new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1-3.5340 (December 1997), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996), 3.0113 (1995), 3.0111 (1994), 2.8301 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Communications
Telephones: 2.6 million (1996)
Telephone system: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 45, shortwave 0