Smotrich to temporarily slash customs duties on milk in bid to stem shortage

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he will sign an order next week to slash customs duties on imported milk for six months to address a shortage of the staple in retail stores and supermarket chains, and to help lower prices.

The order will remove the customs tax currently levied on imported milk, which can rise to 40 percent, and will be effective until February 28, 2026, to ensure a continuous supply during the High Holidays next month and boost competition, the ministry says.

“This is another milestone in our ongoing fight against the cost of living,” says Smotrich in a statement. “We are removing barriers and tariffs to increase competition – this way we will ensure that there is enough milk at a fair price.”

The Finance Ministry adds that the move comes in a year when the fall Jewish holidays — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah — all fall or begin in the middle of the week. That timing reduces working and production days at local dairies and, as a result, along with growing demand, is expected to exacerbate shortages.