JERUSALEM (Xinhua) -- The value of Israeli imports from China , excluding diamonds, increased by 36.3 percent year on year in the first half of this year 2022, according to a report published by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics today (Wednesday).

The report stated that the value of Israeli imports from China in the period from January to June amounted to $6.49 billion, compared to $4.76 billion in the same period in 2021.

"The main reasons for the continuous increase in Israeli imports from China are the fact that China is the largest exporter in the world, and there are negotiations between the two countries to sign a free trade agreement," Esti Ayalon Kovo, head of the Israeli Economic Mission Office in Beijing, told Xinhua.

She added, "Importers know that the agreement is approaching, and they can identify potentials and understand which markets are worth investing in and which products are worth importing."

With the recent rise, China maintained its position as the largest source of Israeli imports, accounting for 12.4 percent of all Israeli imports in the first half of 2022, besting the United States whose share of Israeli imports reached 8.4 percent in the January-June period.

The value of Israeli imports, excluding diamonds, amounted to $52.21 billion in the first half of this year, an increase of 28.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

While the value of Israeli exports to China amounted to $2.3 billion in the first half of 2022, an increase of 8.5 percent compared to $2.12 billion in the period from January to June 2021.

The value of Israeli exports amounted to $30.6 billion in the first half, an increase of 24.3 percent compared to the first half of last year.