Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask US President Donald Trump for relief from the 17% tariff on Israeli exports when they meet in Washington, Globes reported on April 6.

Netanyahu, who arrived late on April 6 in Washington, is spearheading the cause of Israeli companies. The government was shocked by the announcement by Trump on April 2, which levied heavier tariffs on Tel Aviv than on heavily sanctioned Iran.

Netanyahu will be accompanied by his economic adviser, Professor Avi Simhon, but senior Finance Ministry officials who are responsible for preparing for the new tariffs and handling the consequences for the business sector will not travel to Washington.

The Finance Ministry will attempt to convey their messages through the ministry's economic attaché in Washington, Noah Hacker.

On April 4, the ministry held meetings throughout the day with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and professional teams, reviewing various economic scenarios and discussing ideas.

The greatest present Netanyahu could bring back to Israel would be a complete exemption from the new tariff plan. It remains unclear whether such an achievement is possible, particularly as Netanyahu is the first world leader so far to negotiate with Trump on the tariffs.

Netanyahu arrives with several fresh arguments: the Israeli government has announced the elimination of all tariffs on imports from the United States and expanded the import reform "What's good for Europe is good for Israel" to also recognise American standards.

"The Israeli consumer will be affected in the coming year," said CEO of Coface Israel Michael Nachmanovich to Globes.

"Supply chains are built on country A selling part of the product or service in that supply chain to country B. Now, many companies don't even know how much it will cost them to produce products."

Moti Elbaz, CEO of Success Code consulting firm, added that Israeli companies targeting the American market may discover that in a world of tariffs, not every door opens easily. "In addition, exports from Israel to European and Asian countries will be indirectly but significantly affected."