With diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey breaking down in response to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements, major Israeli retail businesses, especially supermarket chains, have decided to stop importing from Turkey, and thus there are opportunities for Greece according to greekcitytimes.com
There is pressure, mainly from agricultural cooperatives, to prioritise and boost Israeli production. The decision of the business sectors to stop imports was taken.
The director of the Israel-Greece chamber, Cobi Bitton said that Israel’s biggest food importers, including CEOs of supermarket chains Shufersal, Rami Levy, Victory and Yochananof, have decided to stop bringing in goods from Turkey following statements by Erdogan.
In the wake of strained bilateral relations, even smaller importers have suspended all orders from Turkey.
Turkey has developed into a major exporting power to Israel in recent years; last year, it became the fifth-largest exporter to the country. Total exports from Turkey to Israel exceeded $7 billion, a spectacular increase compared to 2019, when exports from Turkey to Israel were about $4 billion.
According to Cobi Bitton, the current situation is a shock, and he assesses that there will be a big brake on imports from Turkey to Israel and that his country will look for direct and competitive alternatives in EU markets, including Greece.
If imports from Turkey stop completely, it will be necessary to import from another country, such as Greece or the Netherlands, where the price may increase.