Geographical dimension of Dutch goods trade
How important is the Netherlands to other countries in the world with regard to the trade in goods? How important is the European Union to the Netherlands and how important is the Netherlands to other EU countries? What are the most important countries of origin and destination for the Dutch goods trade? How is the Dutch market share developing in the countries on the Dutch trade agenda? In this chapter, we answer these and many other questions by analysing the geographical dimension of Dutch imports and exports.
5.1Key findings
Trade in goods is of great importance for the Dutch economy, earning the Netherlands 157 billion euros in 2018. Of this total, 123 billion euros came from domestic exports. The remainder consisted of re-exports. This means that goods exports account for 20.3 percent of Dutch GDP. These results contribute to putting the Dutch economy into 17th position worldwide (in terms of nominal GDP, 2018), according to the IMF.
UN-Comtrade figures, including quasi-transit trade, show the Netherlands to be well-placed as a supplier of goods to its neighbouring countries. The Netherlands has been Belgium’s most important supplier of goods for three years in a row. The Dutch share of Belgian imports grew from over 16.5 percent in 2015 to 18 percent in 2018. For Germany, the Netherlands is the second most important supplier of goods.
Concerning the position of the Netherlands as an importer of goods from countries around the world, it has been Belgium’s third most important export destination for three years. For German exporters, the Netherlands was in fourth place as importer every year from 2015 to 2018. Regarding exports from South Africa in particular, the importance of the Netherlands as an importer has significantly increased compared to 2015.
For the 10 largest economies (based on GDP), data show that the Netherlands is not a very important supplier of goods. Especially with regard to China and the United States, the Netherlands imports much more than it exports to these countries.
The EU continues to be very important for Dutch trade. CBS figures show that in 2019, the EU share (including the United Kingdom) of Dutch export value remained at the same high level of 70 percent. Of the 50 most important exporting countries, 22 belonged to the EU. As far as Dutch goods imports are concerned, more than half (53 percent) of these imports came from the EU in 2019. The 50 most important countries for Dutch imports include 18 EU countries.
5.2Importance of the Netherlands as a supplier of goods to other countries
In 2018, the Dutch share of goods imported by the rest of the world was 2.7 percent (Figure 5.2.1). This is slightly more than in 2015, when the Dutch contribution was 2.6 percent. The share of goods imported by the other 27 EU countries remained the same at 6.8 percent. The importance of the Netherlands in imports by all non-EU countries was much smaller, at 0.9 percent, though it had increased slightly from 2015, when it was 0.8 percent.
| Aandeel Nederland | World | EU | Non-EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.6 | 6.8 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 2.6 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
| 2018 | 2.7 | 6.8 | 0.9 |
| Source: United Nations, processed by CBS | |||
The greater importance of the EU is mainly because distance plays an important role in the goods trade. For example, neighbouring Belgium imports 18 percent of its products from the Netherlands. The United Kingdom and Germany both import a higher than average percentage of products from the Netherlands, at more than 8 percent. Italy and France (both around 5 percent) are also important for Dutch goods exports, but remain below the EU average of 6.7 percent. Approximately 60 percent of Belgian imports from the Netherlands consist of products manufactured in the Netherlands. Of the goods exported by the Netherlands to Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy, about half are domestic exports. It is notable that the Netherlands has become increasingly important for the United Kingdom as a supplier of goods. In 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, the Dutch share of British goods imports was about 7.5 percent. Three years later, nearly 8.5 percent of British goods imports came from the Netherlands. Many goods enter the Netherlands through its transport hubs, but have as their final destination the European hinterland. Re-exports and transit trade ensure that the Netherlands has a large trade surplus with countries such as Belgium, Germany and France. The Netherlands is the second most important supplier of goods to Germany after China (CBS, 2020a; CBS, 2020b). In Italy and the United Kingdom, the Netherlands also occupies a strong position, in fourth place.
The Netherlands is considerably less important to countries outside the EU. The share of the Netherlands in imports of goods by the United States was 1 percent in 2018 (Figure 5.2.2), and it was even lower for Brazil, Canada, India, China and Japan. The average for non-EU countries in 2018 was 0.9 percent.
Although the Netherlands is much less significant outside the EU, the country’s share of American goods imports grew substantially over the three years from 2015. The Netherlands was still in 23rd place in 2015, but three years later, it had climbed to 19th place. In China, Japan and India, the Netherlands is one of the 30 most important suppliers of goods.
| Land | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1 |
| China | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Japan | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Germany | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| India | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| United Kingdom | 7.5 | 8 | 8.3 |
| France | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Italy | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.3 |
| Brazil | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Canada | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
If we abandon the dividing line of the 10 largest economies and instead apply a lower limit of 1 billion US dollars in imports from the Netherlands, the picture is quite different (Figure 5.2.3). In that case, Belgium is the country that is by far the most dependent on the Netherlands for its goods imports (18 percent). Nine out of the top 10 countries are EU member states. A notable exception is the number 2 position of Nigeria, which imports a lot of petroleum products from the Netherlands.
| Land | The Netherlands' share |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 18 |
| Nigeria | 11.4 |
| Sweden | 9.4 |
| United Kingdom | 8.3 |
| Germany | 8.1 |
| Denmark | 7.7 |
| Italy | 5.3 |
| Portugal | 5.2 |
| Hungary | 5.1 |
| Lithuania | 4.9 |
| Source: United Nations, processed by CBS | |
If the lower limit of 1 billion US dollars in goods imports from the Netherlands is also disregarded, then Aruba, Suriname, Mozambique, Senegal and Iceland come into the picture, in that order. For Aruba and Suriname, the Netherlands is the second most important supplier of goods after the United States. The Netherlands ranks 4th among suppliers of goods to Mozambique and Senegal.
As the Netherlands earns a major share of its national income from exports, efforts are being made to strengthen its export position. Particular attention is being paid to trade with 39 specific countries, shown in bold in the tables below (Kaag, 2018). The Dutch share of imports by these specific countries, as well as its share of imports by other countries, is shown in tables 5.2.5 and 5.2.6. In table 5.2.5, it is striking is that the Dutch share of goods imports by the United Kingdom grew between 2015 and 2018. This is not the result of growth in Dutch exports, but is due to a sharp fall in the exchange rate of the pound sterling. In 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, the euro was worth 0.726 of a pound. Three years later, the pound sterling had fallen by 22 percent against the euro, which was then worth 0.885 of a pound. As a result of this drop in the exchange rate, goods from the eurozone became on average 22 percent more expensive for the United Kingdom in 2018. Other important trading partners within the eurozone, such as Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Ireland, were of course also affected by the fall in the exchange rate. In the period 2015–2018, these countries suffered more than the Netherlands from decreasing demand from the United Kingdom. In recent years, CBS has regularly published figures on the declining importance of the United Kingdom for Dutch goods exports (CBS, 2020c; CBS, 2020d; CBS, 2020e; CBS, 2020f).
For 10 countries, the Netherlands has a share of goods imports exceeding 5 percent (Figure 5.2.4 and Table 5.2.5). Eight of these 10 countries belong to the EU. The high market share of imports by Nigeria is particularly striking. This is because Nigeria is unable to refine the crude oil that is extracted in the country. The Netherlands imports this oil and processes it to produce high-quality petroleum products. A proportion of these refined petroleum products are sold by Dutch traders to Nigerian importers. In general, it can be said that the Dutch market share has grown (on average) in countries that were already relatively large importers from the Netherlands (market share >5 percent) and has declined or remained the same on average in countries that imported less than 5 percent of goods from the Netherlands.
| Land | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 16.7 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 18 |
| Nigeria | . | 11.7 | 9.2 | 11.4 |
| Sweden | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.4 |
| United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8 | 8.3 |
| Germany | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| Denmark | 8 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Iceland | 5.9 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 6.3 |
| Italy | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.3 |
| Portugal | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| Hungary | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5.1 |
| Source: United Nations, processed by CBS | ||||
In table 5.2.6, which lists the countries with an import value of less than 1 billion US dollars, the Netherlands has a remarkably large market share in Mozambique. The Dutch market share of imports by Cape Verde and Burkina Faso declined by 5.6 and 4.4 percentage points respectively between 2015 and 2018. For this group of countries as a whole, the Dutch market share of imports decreased on average between 2015 and 2018.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market share greater than 5 percent (2018) | ||||
| Belgium | 16.7 | 16.6 | 17.2 | 18.0 |
| Nigeria | . | 11.7 | 9.2 | 11.4 |
| Sweden | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.4 |
| United Kingdom | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.3 |
| Germany | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| Denmark | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| Iceland | 5.9 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 6.3 |
| Italy | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.3 |
| Portugal | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| Hungary | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Market share between 3 and 5 percent (2018) | ||||
| Lithuania | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| Greece | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 4.9 |
| Finland | 5.3 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| France | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Spain | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Romania | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Bulgaria | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| Norway | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| Poland | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| Ireland | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Market share between 1 and 3 percent (2018) | ||||
| Czech Republic | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Austria | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Switzerland | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Israel | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 1.9 |
| Egypt | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Russia | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Turkey | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Slovakia | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Taiwan | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| South Korea | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| South Africa | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Singapore | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Australia | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| United States | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Market share lower than 1 percent (2018) | ||||
| Brazil | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Canada | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| United Arab Emirates | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| India | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| China | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Mexico | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Hong Kong | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Japan | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Thailand | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Source:UN Comtrade, processed by CBS
1)Countries in bold are on the trade agenda.
5.2.6Countries that imported < 1 billion US dollars in goods from the Netherlands in percent (2018)1)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market share greater than 1 percent (2018) | ||||
| Aruba | 10.4 | 8.9 | 11.7 | 10.9 |
| Suriname | 9.3 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 9.7 |
| Mozambique | . | 2.4 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| Senegal | 4.1 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 6.5 |
| Cape Verde | 11.6 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 6.0 |
| Malta | 7.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 4.7 |
| Luxembourg | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Ivory Coast | 2.9 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
| Latvia | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Paraguay | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Benin | 3.2 | 4.8 | 7.2 | 3.4 |
| Cyprus | 5.1 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 3.3 |
| Estonia | 4.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 3.3 |
| Burkina Faso | 7.6 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 3.2 |
| Gambia | 2.7 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Barbados | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Georgia | 1.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Ghana | . | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| Kuwait | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Greenland | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Ecuador | 1.4 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Slovenia | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Morocco | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Serbia | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| Montenegro | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Northern Macedonia | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Burundi | 6.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| Guinea | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Ukraine | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Angola | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Qatar | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Jordan | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Uganda | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Armenia | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Lebanon | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Kenya | . | . | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Oman | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| New Zealand | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Moldova | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Market share lower than 1 percent (2018) | ||||
| Kazakhstan | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Pakistan | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| Belarus | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Argentina | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Bahrain | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Palestine | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Chile | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Philippines | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Peru | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Costa Rica | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Colombia | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
Source:UN Comtrade, processed by CBS
1)Countries in bold are on the trade agenda.
5.3Importance of the Netherlands as a market for other countries
In 2018, the share of global exports that the Netherlands purchased was 3.4 percent (Figure 5.3.1), up from 3.2 percent in 2015. Within the EU, the Dutch share rose by 0.4 percentage points in three years to 5.4 percent in 2018. The Netherlands also increased in importance as a customer outside the EU in that period, and the Dutch contribution rose from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 2.5 percent in 2018. A proportion of imported goods is intended as raw materials or semi-finished products for the Dutch manufacturing sector or is destined for domestic consumption. The remainder leave the Netherlands as re-exports or transit trade – a major part of it to neighbouring countries Belgium and Germany.
| Jaar | World | EU | Non-EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 2.4 |
| 2017 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 2.4 |
| 2018 | 3.4 | 5.4 | 2.5 |
| Source: United Nations, processed by CBS | |||
Of the 10 largest economies, the Dutch shares of exports from Germany (about 6.5 percent) and the United Kingdom (7 percent) exceed the EU average (5.4 percent) (Figure 5.3.2). The share of exports from France and Italy remains well below that. Outside the EU, the Dutch share of exports from the United States and China is nearly 3 percent for each country. Brazil (over 5 percent) and India also remain above the average share of exports to the Netherlands from non-EU countries (2.5 percent). Exports by these four countries, as well as Japan, are considerably higher than imports from them. Schiphol and the Port of Rotterdam play an essential role in this.
As a destination for exports, the Netherlands ranks 2nd for Germany and 3rd for the United Kingdom. For the other two EU countries mentioned above, the Netherlands ranks 8th for France and 10th for Italy. Outside the EU, the Netherlands is remarkably important to Brazil (4th place), which is a major supplier of soya. The Netherlands is also among the top 10 export destinations for Canada (7th), the United States (8th) and India (9th). For Japanese (31st) and Chinese (33rd) exports, the Netherlands plays a less prominent role.
| Land | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| China | 2.6 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Japan | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Germany | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| India | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| United Kingdom | 5.7 | 6.2 | 7 |
| France | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Italy | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Brazil | 5.3 | 4.2 | 5.4 |
| Canada | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
As the ‘Gateway to Europe’, the Netherlands is more important as a customer than as a supplier of goods for the world’s largest economies. The country therefore has a trade deficit with those 10 largest economies.
Of the countries with an export flow of more than 1 billion US dollars to the Netherlands, Iceland depends most on the Dutch market. Three out of 10 US dollars earned by Iceland from exports are from Dutch buyers and the country’s exports to the Netherlands totalled 1.7 billion US dollars in 2018. More than 80 percent of these exports consist of aluminium that is produced with the help of the geothermal energy generated in that country. Mozambique is also highly dependent on exports to the Netherlands, which account for 21 percent of the total. Like Iceland, Mozambique exports aluminium to the Netherlands. Also striking is Ivory Coast’s position at number 4. As the world’s leading importer of cocoa beans, the Netherlands procures a large share of the beans from Ivory Coast and Ghana.
| Land | The Netherlands' share |
|---|---|
| Iceland | 30.2 |
| Mozambique | 21.2 |
| Belgium | 12.2 |
| Ivory Coast | 11.4 |
| Nigeria | 10.7 |
| Norway | 10.6 |
| Kazakhstan | 10.1 |
| Russia | 9.6 |
| Ghana | 7.2 |
| United Kingdom | 7 |
If the 1 billion US dollar limit is abandoned, the countries Sao Tome and Principe, Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica and Luxembourg come into the picture, in that order.
5.4Dutch goods exports
The previous two sections explained the importance of the Netherlands as a supplier and as a market for other countries. Sections 5.4 and 5.5 analyse the trade in goods from the Dutch perspective, using CBS statistics. In 2019, Dutch exports of goods totalled EUR 516 billion euros, according to the International Trade in Goods statistics (Figure 5.4.1). This was 23 percent more than in 2015. Goods exported to the EU totalled 359 billion euros in 2019, which was a rise of 18 percent compared to 2015. The EU is by far the most important market, with a 70 percent share of exports. As a consequence of increasing globalisation, the EU share of Dutch exports is declining year by year. In 2015, the EU still took 72 percent of Dutch goods exports.
Goods exports from the Netherlands to non-EU countries totalled 157 billion euros in 2019, which was a 35 percent rise from 2015. The non-EU share of Dutch exports was 28 percent in 2015. Four years later, 30 percent of Dutch goods exports went to this group of countries.
| Jaar | EU | Non-EU |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 303 | 116 |
| 2016 | 307 | 116 |
| 2017 | 334 | 133 |
| 2018 | 352 | 146 |
| 2019 | 359 | 157 |
As Figure 5.4.2 shows, exports to the American continent increased sharply by 39 percent in the second half of this decade. The development of exports to Asia was also above average, with a rise of 33 percent. Increases in exports to Africa (21 percent rise) and Europe (20 percent rise) remained below average in percentage terms. In 2019, three-quarters of Dutch goods exports went to other countries in Europe. Outside Europe, Asia is the largest importer of Dutch products, with a share of 11 percent.
| Year | Europe | Asia | Americas | Africa | Oceania and other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 324 | 43 | 31 | 14 | 8 |
| 2016 | 328 | 45 | 31 | 12 | 7 |
| 2017 | 359 | 53 | 33 | 13 | 9 |
| 2018 | 378 | 55 | 38 | 16 | 11 |
| 2019 | 388 | 57 | 43 | 17 | 11 |
The 10 most important markets accounted for two-thirds of the total value of Dutch goods exports in 2019. Most goods went to Germany (114 billion euros, 22 percent share) and Belgium (52 billion euros, 10 percent share) (Figure 5.4.3). Between 2015 and 2019, exports to Germany grew by 19 percent and for Belgium the rise was 16 percent. In addition to these two neighbouring countries, another 6 EU member states are among the 10 most important destinations for Dutch goods exports. Of these countries, exports to Poland (33 percent rise), Spain (28 percent) and Sweden (27 percent) grew by more than the average of 23 percent between 2015 and 2019. After 2015, the year before the Brexit referendum, goods exports to the United Kingdom continued to falter, at a growth rate of 9 percent.
Of the 10 most important destinations for exports, the two non-EU countries, China and the United States, showed the strongest growth in exports from the Netherlands. Exports to China grew by 50 percent to 13 billion euros in the period 2015–2019.
In the same period, exports to the United States rose by 48 percent. The United States is the fifth most important destination for Dutch exports, with a total of 27 billion euros.
| Land | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 99 | 113 | 114 |
| Belgium | 44 | 51 | 52 |
| France | 33 | 39 | 40 |
| UK | 36 | 40 | 40 |
| US | 18 | 23 | 27 |
| Italy | 17 | 20 | 20 |
| Spain | 12 | 15 | 16 |
| Poland | 10 | 13 | 13 |
| China | 9 | 12 | 13 |
| Sweden | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Of the remaining countries, exports to Russia and Nigeria grew by more than 2 billion euros in the period 2015–2019. In summer 2014, Russia imposed a boycott on a large group of food products (vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy). Nevertheless, the Netherlands continued to export, selling mainly medicines and pharmaceutical products to Russia in 2019.
Nigeria is an important supplier of crude oil to the Netherlands. In turn, the Netherlands exports many refined petroleum products to Nigeria. This export flow nearly doubled between 2015 and 2019. The Netherlands also sold substantially more medicines and pharmaceutical products to Nigeria.
If we focus on domestic exports (because these provide the highest earnings), Figure 5.4.4 shows that the countries neighbouring the Netherlands are the most important export destinations. Germany (55 billion euros, 19 percent share) is in first place, followed by Belgium (29 billion euros, 10 percent share). Dutch manufacturing makes up 48 percent of Dutch exports to Germany. Of the goods exported to Belgium, 56 percent are manufactured in the Netherlands. The main destinations for many goods produced by Dutch manufacturers are the United States (70 percent of total exports), China (76 percent), Nigeria (82 percent), and South Korea (77 percent).
| Land | Re-exports | Domestic exports | Total goods exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 21 | 19 | 22 |
| Belgium | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| France | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| UK | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| US | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Italy | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Poland | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| China | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Sweden | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Independent small and medium-sized enterprises (independent SMEs) account for 138 billion euros (more than 27 percent) of exports. More than 30 percent of this goes to the EU. Independent SMEs are responsible for 33 percent of exports to Germany, while for Belgium the figure is 31 percent. For exports to the United States (16 percent) and China (18 percent), independent SMEs have a share that is significantly lower than the average. It is striking that only a very small proportion of independent SMEs export goods to Nigeria (6.2 percent).
5.5Dutch goods imports
Dutch imports of goods totalled 460 billion euros in 2019 (Figure 5.5.1). This was 24 percent more than in 2015. More than half (243 billion euros, 53 percent) were imported from an EU country. This share was slightly lower than in 2015, when 54 percent of imports by the Netherlands came from within the EU. Imports from other EU member states increased by 21 percent from 2015 to 2019. Imports from non-EU countries totalled 217 billion euros in 2019, an increase of 26 percent compared to 2015.
| Jaar | EU countries | Non-EU countries |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 200 | 172 |
| 2016 | 200 | 168 |
| 2017 | 222 | 187 |
| 2018 | 236 | 205 |
| 2019 | 243 | 217 |
Imports from Asia, as shown in Figure 5.5.2, grew by nearly a third to 107 billion euros over the period 2015 to 2019. The Netherlands mainly imported more machinery, transport vehicles and chemical products from Asia. Imports from the American continent were 23 percent below the average and imports from Europe were 21 percent below. Growth in imports from Africa came to a standstill over the last five years. In 2019, the Netherlands imported 61 percent of all goods from other European countries, compared to 62 percent in 2015. Outside the European continent, the Netherlands imported most from Asia. Asia’s share of all imported goods was 22 percent in 2015, increasing to 23 percent four years later.
| Jaar | Europe | Asia | Americas | Africa | Oceania and other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 233 | 81 | 44 | 12 | 3 |
| 2016 | 230 | 82 | 44 | 9 | 4 |
| 2017 | 256 | 94 | 45 | 10 | 5 |
| 2018 | 276 | 100 | 49 | 11 | 6 |
| 2019 | 281 | 107 | 54 | 12 | 5 |
The 10 most important countries that supply goods to the Netherlands accounted for 64 percent of total imports in 2019. Four years earlier, those 10 countries supplied 65 percent of goods imports. Most goods came from neighbouring countries Germany (79 billion euros, 17 percent share) and Belgium (45 billion euros, 10 percent share) (Figure 5.5.3). Between 2015 and 2019, imports from Germany grew by 20 percent and imports from Belgium by 18 percent, remaining below the average growth in imports of 24 percent. In addition to these two countries, four other EU member states are among the top 10. Of these countries, imports from Ireland (80 percent up) and Italy (34 percent up) grew more than average. Goods imports from the United Kingdom (20 percent rise) and especially France (4 percent rise) remained below average. Four of the top 10 countries do not belong to the EU. In 2019, China (33 percent rise) and the United States (25 percent rise) in particular supplied considerably more goods to the Netherlands than four years previously. The other two countries, Russia and Norway, are particularly important to the Netherlands as suppliers of oil and gas. Of the countries that are not among the 10 largest suppliers of goods to the Netherlands, the share of imports from Spain and Singapore grew to more than 2 billion euros between 2015 and 2019. The Netherlands imported less from Brazil (12 percent fall), South Africa (11 percent fall) and Nigeria (6 percent fall) in 2019 than in 2015.
| Land | 2015 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 65.7 | 77.6 | 78.9 |
| Belgium | 37.9 | 44.1 | 44.9 |
| China | 32.4 | 39.2 | 43 |
| US | 30.1 | 33.8 | 37.7 |
| UK | 20.6 | 26.3 | 24.8 |
| France | 16.3 | 16.5 | 17 |
| Russia | 13.9 | 17.2 | 15.3 |
| Norway | 11.9 | 14.1 | 12.2 |
| Italy | 8.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 |
| Ireland | 5.1 | 6.9 | 9.2 |
In the previous section, exports of goods were divided into two export flows: domestic exports and re-exports. Imports of goods can also be broken down into imports for the Dutch market (consumption, intermediate consumption, capital goods) and imports for re-export.noot1 Figure 5.5.4 divides imports from the 10 most important countries of origin into import flows. The data show that in many cases, imports from China and the United States are not destined for the Dutch market but for the European hinterland. In contrast, imports from neighbouring countries of the Netherlands are mostly destined for the Dutch market. The mirror image of Figure 5.5.4 can be seen clearly in Figure 5.4.4. Imports from Russia and Norway are partly destined for the Dutch market. A large proportion of these imports are refined or consumed, while others leave the Netherlands as petroleum products or as re-exports.
| Land | Total goods imports | Imports for domestic use | Imports for re-exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 14.7 | 21.6 | 17.2 |
| Belgium | 7.5 | 13.1 | 9.8 |
| China | 13.1 | 6.2 | 9.4 |
| US | 9.3 | 5.9 | 8.2 |
| UK | 5.5 | 6.7 | 5.4 |
| France | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Russia | 1.8 | 5 | 3.3 |
| Norway | 1.8 | 4 | 2.7 |
| Italy | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Poland | 2.2 | 2 | 2 |
Of all goods imported by Dutch enterprises in 2019, 22 percent (more than 100 billion euros) were imported by SMEs. Of this amount of more than 100 billion euros, 52 billion euros came from other EU countries, which was a share of 22 percent of all imports from EU countries. Of the money that independent SMEs spend on imports, 20 percent goes to Belgium and Germany. The share of independent SMEs in total goods imports from China is strikingly high at 42 percent. In contrast, independent SMEs import very little from Norway, Nigeria, Ireland and Singapore. The share of imports from these four countries is well below 10 percent.
5.6References
References
CBS (2020a). Internationalisation Monitor 2020, first quarter: Germany. The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. Consulted on 14 April 2020.
CBS (2020b). Internationalisation Monitor 2020, second quarter: China. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire. Consulted on 29 June 2020.
CBS (2020c). Dutch domestic exports to the UK recording decline. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire. Consulted on 21 April 2020.
CBS (2020d). €25.5 billion revenue from exports to the UK. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire. Consulted on 20 April 2020.
CBS (2020e). Growth in exports to the United Kingdom lagging behind. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire. Consulted on 20 April 2020.
Noten
This concerns information that has become available as a result of new analysis techniques at CBS (Lemmers & Wong, 2019).