Logistics services in Israel.

Israel logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Israel cover sea, air, road, and rail movements. Containerized cargo moves via about 3.1 million TEU per year, supported by 5 commercial seaports including Haifa, Ashdod, Elat, Hadera, and Ashqelon. Haifa and Ashdod are the main container gateways, with cargo pier depths up to about 20 m and rail connections inside the ports.

Shippers can route freight through scheduled services at Ben Gurion International Airport, Ramon International Airport, and Haifa International Airport, with about 610 million tonne-km of air freight. Inland, about 1,500 km of railway and an extensive road network connect ports to industrial and consumption centers. Israel’s logistics performance index score of 3.6 and logistics services score of 3.8 indicate relatively efficient freight handling and distribution for exporters and importers.

Freight forwarders in Israel should be able to coordinate across the main ports of Haifa, Ashdod, Elat, Hadera and Ashqelon, as well as Ben Gurion, Ramon and Haifa airports. Container throughput was about 3.1 million TEU in 2024, and Israel ranked 43rd of 168 countries for port volume and 37th of 169 for liner connectivity, so using agents familiar with sailing options is useful.

The overall logistics performance index score is 3.6 against a world median of 2.7, but the international shipments score of 3.5 is closer to the median of 2.8 than the logistics and timeliness scores of 3.8. When choosing freight forwarders in Israel, check their experience with major trade partners such as the USA, China and Germany and with bloc and WTO rules, as Israel is in the OECD and a WTO member. Local representation by carriers such as COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, Evergreen, OOCL, ZIM and HMM can also be helpful for booking and issue resolution.

Israel handled about 3.1 million TEU of container traffic in 2024 and ranked 43rd of 168 countries by port throughput. Haifa is the largest listed container port with cargo pier depth of 12.5 m, while Ashdod, Elat, Hadera and Ashqelon provide additional seaport capacity; Ashdod has depth of 15.5 m and Hadera 20.1 m. All five are rail connected, supporting inland moves for FCL and LCL shipping.

The liner shipping connectivity index was 41.47 in 2021, ranking 37th of 169 countries, which indicates broad service options for ocean carriers. Several global lines have offices in Israeli cities, including COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, Evergreen, OOCL, ZIM and HMM, which can be used to arrange FCL and LCL shipping from and to Israel. No all-in FCL or LCL rate observations are listed for specific lanes or dates.

Scheduled air services operate through Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), Ramon International Airport (ETM) and Uri Michaeli Haifa International Airport (HFA). Air freight in Israel reached about 610 million tonne-km in 2023 and ranked 38th of 184 countries for air cargo traffic.

Air freight in Israel is often used for higher-value export goods listed for the country, such as integrated circuits, diamonds, broadcasting equipment and medical instruments, where speed and security can justify higher transport cost. It also supports urgent imports like garments, components and specialist equipment when sea transit times do not meet supply chain requirements.

The rail network in Israel totals about 1,497 km and links directly to major ports at Haifa, Ashdod, Elat, Hadera and Ashqelon. Rail freight activity reached about 1,085 million tonne-km in 2021, placing Israel 66th of 113 countries worldwide and 8th of 13 in its regional group.

Israel shares land borders with Egypt, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, with individual frontier lengths ranging from 59 km to 330 km. These borders allow for cross-border road freight to neighbouring markets and for trucking to and from seaports for inland shippers before or after ocean or rail legs.

Israel is a member of the World Trade Organization and takes part in the OECD bloc. Average applied tariffs are about 2.62 percent as of 2022. The country has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 23 May 1958.

The customs component of the logistics performance index was 3.4 in 2022 compared with the world median of 2.6. Overall LPI was 3.6 vs a median of 2.7. Export border compliance time was reported at 1 day and import at 2 days in 2016. For customs clearance in Israel, shippers should at minimum prepare a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document aligned with shipment terms.