Delivery of new Toyota C-HR models in Haifa port last month/Haifa port barges
A surprising increase in car imports to Israel in January: 18,403 private vehicles arrived in Israel, an increase of 10.6% compared to January 2023, despite the delays in the arrival of ships from China, Korea and Japan due to the attacks by the Houthis and the Malays in the hands of the importers.
However, the Tax Authority states that the increase was mainly due to the late arrival of ships that were supposed to dock in Israel back in December, but were diverted to the Red Day bypass route around Africa, which extended their journey by about three weeks.
If it weren't for the delay, there would have been a decrease in vehicle imports in January 2024.
As revealed in Vowala Car, in January approximately 38,000 new cars were delivered in Israel, a decrease of more than 20% compared to last January, but still lower than expected.
Eilat port is occupied, and car transport ships are diverted to Haifa/Haifa port barges
Last month also provided a rare picture that marked the changes in car imports: for the first time in the port of Haifa two car transport ships docked at the same time, from the Italian Grimaldi and the British Neptune, which unloaded 510 Toyota models, 555 Hyundai cars, 145 trucks and 20 buses.
Since the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea began, deliveries of new vehicles from the east to the port of Eilat have stopped, and more ships prefer to dock at the port of Haifa, also because of its distance from Gaza.
In January, 12,105 cars were unloaded in Haifa, a jump of 75% compared to last January, and it took the first place in car unloading among Israeli ports.
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Port of Haifa