Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit Washington for discussions on tariffs on Israeli goods
Washington, April 5 (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House on Monday to discuss the recently announced tariffs with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to three Israeli officials.
Axios was the first to report on the unexpected visit, stating that if the visit occurs, Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet directly with Trump to discuss the removal of the tariffs. Netanyahu's office has not yet confirmed the visit, but discussions are expected to also cover Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and Iran.
On Thursday, while Netanyahu was in Hungary, he raised the issue of the tariffs during a phone conversation with Trump, according to Israeli officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
As part of Trump's newly announced tariff policy, certain undisclosed Israeli products will face a 17% tariff in the U.S. The United States is Israel's closest ally and its largest single commercial partner. An Israeli Ministry of Finance official said on Thursday that Trump's new tariff announcement could negatively impact the export of Israeli machinery and medical equipment.
Israel has already decided to cancel the remaining tariffs on goods imported from the United States on Tuesday. The two countries signed a free trade agreement 40 years ago, and currently, nearly 98% of products coming from the U.S. are tariff-free.
