Exports to China was up by 47% to US$1.66 million and exports to Egypt was 15% up to US$2.0 million and Jordan to US$3.0 million
 
Doron Kempler, chairman of the Israel Packaging Institute, said last week that exports of packaging materials in the first quarter of 2007, compared to the parallel grew by 4.1% to US$294 million.
 
Kempler noted that the increase was mainly due to the rise in orders from China, Egypt (QIZ) and Jordan which helped offset lower exports orders from the US, Australia and Japan. Exports to the USA dropped by 9.3% to US$30.7 million, exports to Australia was down by 14.8% to US$2.7 million and exports to Japan in the first quarter was down by 82% to US$58,600.
 
Exports to China was up by 47% to US$1.66 million and exports to Egypt was 15% up to US$2.0 million and Jordan to US$3.0 million. Kempler also noted that Israeli companies sold in the first quarter $200,000 worth of plastic and cardboard boxes to Indonesia, the world's most populous majority-Islam nation.
 
He added that the sale to Indonesia was despite the fact that Israel has no official governmental presence in Indonesia. The two countries have had trade relations for several years but this was the first time the country has accepted imports of Israeli-made packaging products.