JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Israel's imports of goods from China, excluding diamonds, increased by 36.3 percent year-on-year in the first half (H1) of 2022, according to a report published by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

Israeli import value from China from January to June amounted to 6.49 billion U.S. dollars, compared to 4.76 billion dollars in the same period in 2021, said the report.

The import volume has been increasing mainly because importers in Israel could identify the potential of China, the world's largest exporter, Esti Ayalon-Kovo, Head of Israel's Economic Mission office in Beijing, told Xinhua.

"In terms of supply chains, China has been less affected than other countries during the coronavirus period because it has unique transport capabilities," she noted.

With the latest figure, China kept its position as Israel's largest source of imports, accounting for 12.4 percent of all Israeli imports in H1 of 2022, ahead of the United States, whose share of Israeli imports stood at 8.4 percent in the same period.

Total Israeli imports, excluding diamonds, amounted to 52.21 billion dollars in H1, an increase of 28.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Israeli exports to China totaled 2.3 billion dollars in H1 of 2022, registering an 8.5 percent increase.

Total Israeli exports reached 30.6 billion dollars in H1, an increase of 24.3 percent compared to last year's H1.