International trade in services
This chapter focuses on international trade in services. We examine the development of international trade in services over time, identifying the main trading partners and types of service. We also look at the regional distribution of international service trade in the Netherlands. Which regions of the Netherlands have a high level of service trade, in both absolute and relative terms? Finally, we consider the Netherlands’ international position as a trader in services: how important is the Netherlands for other countries’ service trade, both as a customer and as a supplier? This chapter considers these and other aspects in order to provide an overview of Dutch trade in services.
4.1Key findings
Service exports not yet back to pre-coronavirus crisis level
Dutch service exports amounted to nearly €211 billion in 2021. That is 5.7% more than in 2020, but 10.5% (€–24.8 billion) less than in the pre-coronavirus year 2019. In particular, exports of travel services (expenditure by tourists and travellers in the Netherlands) and exports of services by travel intermediaries and platforms were not yet back to pre-coronavirus crisis levels. Exports of intellectual property (fees received for the use or licensing of the distribution or reproduction of intellectual property such as music, films, series, TV formats and trademarks) have fallen sharply in the last two years. This fall is related to changes in tax rules in the Netherlands.
The United Kingdom was the most important market for Dutch services in 2021. In particular, the UK sources business and transport services from the Netherlands. After the UK, Germany is the main export country, with transport services playing a key role. The United States, in third place, sources a relatively large amount of financial services from the Netherlands, with a number of multinationals having switched certain financial and service flows away from the Netherlands.
Import value of services 15% lower than in 2019
Dutch service imports amounted to more than €200 billion in 2021. That represents a 7% increase compared to 2020, but it remains more than 15% below the 2019 level. The coronavirus crisis and the restructuring of financial and service flows by multinationals also account for the bulk of the contraction in service imports. The share of other business services and transport services in total service imports grew between 2019 and 2021. The ongoing coronavirus crisis and travel restrictions meant that expenditure by Dutch travellers abroad (import of travel services) was much lower in 2021 than in 2019.
As in 2019 and 2020, the main source of service imports was the United States. Despite Brexit, the United Kingdom was the second largest supplier of services. Ireland, Belgium, France and Poland also saw their share of Dutch service imports grow between 2019 and 2021. Switzerland and Bermuda, both major trading partners, ceded market share, partly due to restructuring by multinationals, and became less important sources of Dutch service imports.
Five regions account for more than 70% of service trade
Nearly half of the service trade of the Dutch business economy is conducted by enterprises in the Greater Amsterdam region. This region, together with Greater Rijnmond, Greater The Hague, South East Noord-Brabant and Utrecht, account for over 70% of all service trade in the Netherlands. Based on an analysis by COROP region (regional breakdown used in the Netherlands for statistical purposes), Zeelandic Flanders (36%), Mid Limburg (28%) and South Limburg (27%) had the largest relative shares of enterprises trading in services.
East Groningen, Arnhem/Nijmegen and South East Drenthe are the three regions with the largest shares of exports to Germany. With regard to imports of services from Germany, South East Friesland has replaced the Arnhem/Nijmegen region as one of the three regions with the largest shares. The frontrunner in service exports to Belgium is the Mid Noord-Brabant region; for imports of services it is Zeelandic Flanders. The COROP regions in Limburg are much more focused on Germany than on Belgium for service exports and imports.
The Netherlands is the main customer and the main supplier of services for Belgium
Nearly 15% of Belgian service trade takes place with the Netherlands. In terms of size, the Netherlands was therefore the main customer and the main supplier of services for Belgium in 2019. Conversely, the Belgian share of Dutch service trade was substantially smaller (around 5–6%). The Netherlands ranks fifth in German imports and exports of services with a share of 5–6%. The Dutch share of German service trade is therefore significantly smaller than the German share of Dutch service trade. The same applies to other major trading partners such as the United States and the United Kingdom: the Netherlands sells and purchases relatively more services there than vice versa. For countries such as Poland, Sweden, Iceland and Lithuania, the Netherlands is a more important partner than vice versa. The extent of trading with a country nevertheless depends on many factors. Distance plays an important role, for example, as does the size of the partner country. The larger the partner country, for example in terms of GDP or population, the higher is the level of service exports (ceteris paribus) (Cremers & Jaarsma 2020; Cremers et al. 2022).
4.2Service exports by type of service and country
International trade in services is an important part of the Dutch economy. Earnings from service exports accounted for around 12% of Dutch GDP in 2020. The Netherlands generates these earnings from exports of transport services, payment services, technical services, such as those relating to petroleum and natural gas extraction, fees for the use of licences and intellectual property, expenditure by tourists and day visitors in the Netherlands, telecommunications, consulting and accountancy services and many other types of cross-border services. Just over 1 million full-time jobs were directly or indirectly related to service exports in 2020. Chapter 6 of this publication examines Dutch export earnings and the related employment in greater depth.
Dutch service exports have not yet recovered from the coronavirus crisis
The Netherlands exported services worth close to €211 billion in 2021 (Figure 4.2.1). Although that is 5.7% more than in 2020, exports were 10.5% – €24.8 billion – below the 2019 level. That was also around €2 billion less than in 2018. Service trade has therefore not yet recovered from the sharp contraction in the 2020 COVID year. A large part of that contraction after 2019 was due to the coronavirus crisis. Exports of travel services in particular slumped due to the travel restrictions in force in 2020 and 2021, which also caused sharp falls in exports of support services for travel (websites and platforms for booking accommodation, airline tickets and taxis; passenger transport in the aviation sector, aviation services etc.).
Restructuring of service flows by multinationals
The Netherlands introduced a number of changes to the tax system in 2020 and 2021, making it less attractive for multinationals to route certain service flows through the Netherlands, including interest and royalties (see box below). A number of enterprises consequently restructured their international service and income flows, with the result that Dutch exports of intellectual property (receipt of fees and royalties), among other things, were substantially lower in 2021 than in 2019 (Poulissen et al., 2022). In addition to the coronavirus crisis and corporate restructuring, 2020 and 2021 were uncertain years for both the Dutch and the global economy, with among other things the continuing tense trade relationship between the United States and China, uncertainties surrounding Brexit and various disruptions to supply and demand, such as chip shortages and tightness in the labour market.
| Exports | |
|---|---|
| 2014* | 167.1 |
| 2015* | 185.1 |
| 2016* | 180.1 |
| 2017* | 190.6 |
| 2018* | 212.7 |
| 2019* | 235.5 |
| 2020* | 199.4 |
| 2021* | 210.7 |
Restructuring of financial and service flows by multinationals
The highly educated workforce, good digital and physical infrastructure and investments in innovation and technology, the favourable location in Europe with the key entry points of the Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, as well as a business-friendly tax system, mean the Netherlands has a good business climate for large international enterprises, among others. The Netherlands plays an important role in multinationals’ tax structures (DNB, 2020). Having a holding company or special purpose entity (SPE) in the Netherlands enables multinationals to conduct major income or capital transactions on behalf of the parent enterprise through the Netherlands. Partly due to the large number of SPEs in the Netherlands and the large financial flows that they process, the Netherlands is one of the largest recipients and investors worldwide (DNB, 2020). See also Chapter 8 of this publication for further information and figures on foreign direct investment in and from the Netherlands.
The dividends, interest and royalties generated by this foreign direct investment often flow through the Netherlands (Lejour et al., 2019). Prior to 2021, these interest and royalty payments were not subject to withholding tax in the Netherlands, so these financial flows were taxed not in the Netherlands but (possibly) in the destination country as part of the profit tax payable there. So-called ‘tax havens’, however, levy little or no profit tax and a significant proportion of revenues leaving the Netherlands are destined for these territories (Berentsen, 2020).
This changed with the amendment to the Withholding Tax Act that came into force on 1 January 2021, with the result that certain interest and royalty payments to Dutch-based entities of multinationals are now subject to withholding tax. International payments that have been routed through the Netherlands for tax structuring reasons have also been subject to this withholding tax since 2021 and dividends flowing to low-tax jurisdictions will also be taxed in the Netherlands from 2024. Poulissen et al. (2022) show that multinationals in the Netherlands have anticipated this legal change and responded to it by restructuring their operations and no longer routing certain service and financial flows through the Netherlands. This has negative consequences for the Netherlands’ international service trade, since some flows fall within the definition of international service trade. Examples include the international settlement of royalties between the parent enterprise and subsidiaries, such as payments for the use of intellectual property (for example a registered trademark, certain proprietary software or rights to films and music).
Decline in importance of travel services
Figure 4.2.2 shows the composition of Dutch service exports over the past three years. Exports of insurance services, personal, cultural and recreational services, government services, exports of maintenance and repair services and construction services make up only a very small part of total Dutch service exports. Travel services were still the fifth largest type of service in 2019, accounting for 7.5% of total exports. That share fell to 3.9% in 2021.
Transport services are an increasingly important component of service exports
With a share of around 30% of total exports, business services have topped the list of the main service types in recent years. The share of transport services, which accounted for more than 22% of total service exports in 2021, is rising steadily. Higher energy and fuel prices since the end of the summer of 2021 may also be a factor.
Exports of intellectual property (fees received for the use of intellectual property) were substantially lower in 2021 than in 2019. This is mainly due to the aforementioned restructuring of service flows by large multinationals.
| Business services | Transport services | Intellectual property | Telecommunications, computer and information services |
Financial services | Travel services | Services connected to the working and processing of goods |
Construction services | Maintenance and repair | Government services | Personal, cultural and recreational services |
Insurance services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021* | 61.8 | 47.2 | 32.4 | 31.0 | 11.7 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| 2020* | 59.6 | 39.2 | 36.5 | 31.3 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| 2019* | 68.4 | 42.8 | 51.7 | 29.3 | 8.5 | 17.6 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 |
Contraction in business services due to R&D and other business services
Figure 4.2.3 provides a further breakdown of the top 5 exported services. Within exports of business services, the ‘technical services, trade-related and other business services’ category has the highest export value (€30.2 billion), followed by professional and management consulting services (€26.1 billion). The first group of business services includes services provided by architects and engineers, scientific and other technical services, services incidental to mining and oil and gas extraction, for example on a foreign drilling platform, and operational leasing of aircraft, for example. It may also include platforms (for arranging travel, taxi services or accommodation, for example). The decrease in travel during the coronavirus crisis was therefore associated with the contraction in exports of this type of services between 2019 and 2021. Examples of professional and management consulting services are legal services, accounting, auditing, bookkeeping and tax consulting services, business and management consulting and public relations services, advertising, market research and public opinion polling.
Within transport services, other transport services are the largest component. These include freight and passenger transport and support services for transport by rail, road, inland shipping and pipeline. Freight transport is by far the largest component. The next largest after other transport services are exports of aviation services, at €14.1 billion, followed by maritime services at €13.1 billion. These services include passenger and freight transport by air and by sea, together with related support services, provided for foreign residents. Within transport services only aviation contracted between 2019 and 2020; other services showed growth.
In the case of fees received for the use of intellectual property, the largest share of export value is represented by fees for the use of audiovisual services, such as fees for music and film distribution rights, and franchises and similar trademarks. In the case of exports of information services, the most important are computer services. This type of service includes fees for the use and distribution of software and proprietary software rights. The latter component contracted sharply in 2021 compared to 2019.noot1
In financial services, finally, we can only provide a breakdown between explicitly charged financial services and indirect financial services. The latter category plays hardly any role in Dutch service exports.
| 2021* | 2019* | |
|---|---|---|
| R&D services | 5.5 | 9.5 |
| Professional and management consulting services |
26.1 | 24.1 |
| Trade-related and other business services |
30.2 | 34.8 |
| . | . | |
| Maritime transport | 13.2 | 10.5 |
| Air transport | 14.1 | 15.4 |
| Other transport | 18.5 | 15.7 |
| Postal and courier services | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| . | . | |
| Franchises and similar trademarks | 13.0 | 12.1 |
| Fees for the use of R&D | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Fees for the use of software | 2.3 | 21.8 |
| Fees for the use of audiovisual products |
11.7 | 13.6 |
| . | . | |
| Telecommunications services | 3.0 | 3.1 |
| Computer services | 21.1 | 18.9 |
| Information services | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| . | . | |
| Financial services (direct) | 11.4 | 7.2 |
| Financial services (indirect: FISIM) | 0.3 | 1.3 |
United Kingdom becomes largest export partner despite Brexit
The United Kingdom was the Netherlands’ largest export market for services in 2021. Despite the imminence of Brexit, the UK has become increasingly important for Dutch service exports in recent years: in 2019, 10.9% of exports went to the UK, whereas in 2021 the figure was 13.7%. Chapter 8 of this publication shows that direct investments by the Netherlands in the UK also grew further in 2021, with the result that in 2021 the country again received more Dutch investment than the US and therefore topped the list of investment markets for the Netherlands. The other export markets in the top 5 in 2021 were Germany (12.8%), the US (11.7%), Ireland (7.4%) and Belgium (6.0%). Figure 4.2.4 shows that the UK, the US and Germany are very close to each other in terms of export value. The export value to Ireland, however, has fallen sharply since 2019.noot2
Higher service exports to United Kingdom despite Brexit
The Netherlands exported nearly €29 billion worth of services to the United Kingdom in 2021. That is 13% more than in 2019 and as much as 27% more than in 2020 – a notable development given that the United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Whereas goods exports to the UK have shown a clear contraction since 2021 – the first year in which the rules of the Internal Market no longer applied – exports of services have so far proved immune. This may be because the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU includes less explicit agreements on mutual service trade than on goods trade.
Far more exports of transport services and other services such as telecommunications, computer and information services went to the UK in 2021 than in 2019 and 2020. With a value of €9.8 billion in 2021, business services, including legal and accounting services, are by far the most important type of service exports to the UK. Almost one-third of service exports to the UK consist of business services. Expenditure by British tourists and business travellers during their stay in the Netherlands remained stable at just over €200 million in 2021. That represents a decrease of 86% compared to 2019, before the effective date of Brexit and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (CBS, 2022).
| 2019* | 2020* | 2021* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 25.6 | 22.8 | 29 |
| Germany | 28.4 | 24.9 | 26.9 |
| US | 21.9 | 22 | 24.7 |
| Ireland | 30.8 | 13.2 | 15.5 |
| Belgium | 12.5 | 11.2 | 12.5 |
| Switzerland | 10.7 | 10.9 | 12.2 |
| France | 11.6 | 11.3 | 11.4 |
| Italy | 6.1 | 5.3 | 5.7 |
| Sweden | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Spain | 4.9 | 4 | 4.6 |
Large share of financial services going to the United States
Figure 4.2.5 shows the shares of important export markets for the five largest service types. It shows that the importance of the largest export markets varies depending on the type of service.
After the UK, the US is also an important market for business services. Germany is an important market for Dutch transport services, which is not surprising given that many goods are transported from the Netherlands to Germany by road or inland shipping. Ireland remains a relatively important market for exports of intellectual property, even after the changes in tax rules. Ireland, like the UK, is also an important market for computer and information services. A large share (38.9%) of exports of financial services go to the United States.
| United Kingdom | Germany | United States | Ireland | Belgium | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business services | 9.8 | 6.8 | 9.6 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 28.0 |
| Transport services | 6.8 | 7.7 | 4.8 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 23.0 |
| Intellectual property | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 19.9 |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services | 5.8 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 12.9 |
| Financial services | 1.8 | 0.7 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 3.8 |
4.3Service imports by type of service and country
Dutch service imports are of a similar size to exports. Before 2020, the import value was slightly higher than the export value, but since 2020 the Netherlands has exported more services than it imports in terms of value. Service imports consist partly of services that are used directly by consumers and partly of services that enterprises incorporate in production processes. Chapter 7 of this publication considers in further detail the question of what imports (including services) are used for in the Netherlands.
The value of Dutch service imports amounted to more than €200 billion in 2021. Total service imports were around 7% higher than in the COVID year 2020, but still remained more than 15% below the 2019 level and 8% below the level of total service imports in 2018. As in the case of service imports, the coronavirus crisis also accounted for a significant part of the contraction of service exports, but other factors also played a role. The most notable of these is the international restructuring of financial and service flows by a number of large enterprises (see Poulissen et al., 2022).
| Imports | |
|---|---|
| 2014* | 155.4 |
| 2015* | 201.5 |
| 2016* | 174.2 |
| 2017* | 191.0 |
| 2018* | 218.9 |
| 2019* | 237.0 |
| 2020* | 187.3 |
| 2021* | 200.7 |
As in the case of exports, the top 5 service types accounted for more than 85% of the total import value in 2021 (Figure 4.3.2). This was also the case in the preceding years. Over one-third of Dutch imports comprise business services, followed by transport services, payments for intellectual property, telecommunications, computer and information services, and financial services. Compared to previous years, the biggest decline can be seen in payments for the use of intellectual property. As discussed above, this decrease is mainly due to changes in the Dutch tax system which have led to enterprises no longer routing certain financial and income flows through the Netherlands. Imports of intellectual property, at €31.2 billion, were nevertheless still the third largest import category in 2021.As a result of changes in the tax system and the decrease in intellectual property, the importance of business services and transport services actually grew between 2019 and 2021. Imports of travel services moved in the opposite direction. At 8.7%, they were much lower in 2021 than in 2019, particularly as a result of the ongoing travel restrictions and coronavirus measures.
| Business services | Transport services | Intellectual property | Telecommunications, computer and information services |
Financial services | Travel services | Services connected to the working and processing of goods |
Maintenance and repair | Construction services | Personal, cultural and recreational services |
Insurance services | Government services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021* | 70.4 | 38.9 | 31.2 | 20.6 | 15.3 | 9.4 | 7.4 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| 2020* | 66.6 | 32.1 | 34.0 | 20.2 | 12.9 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| 2019* | 74.6 | 34.3 | 62.0 | 18.9 | 10.8 | 20.7 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
Fall in imports of the use of intellectual property on several fronts
Figure 4.3.3 provides a more detailed breakdown of the top 5 imported services. This largely presents the same picture as exports. In the case of imports of business services, it is notable that professional and management services are the most important, followed by other business services. R&D also plays a limited role in imports. Within transport services, other transport accounts for a very large share. Inland shipping, road transport and pipeline transport are the largest components of this service type. In imports too, all components of transport services grew except aviation.
Fees for the use of intellectual property are spread fairly evenly over the more detailed categories, except fees for the use of R&D. Once again a large contraction can be seen in imports of fees for software distribution and reproduction. This is due to the aforementioned change in flows that are no longer seen as services but as financial flows. In the case of imports of business services, the Netherlands already had only limited imports of R&D services and the corresponding fees. Furthermore – apart from franchises – the detailed data for all services after fees for the use of intellectual property show a contraction between 2019 and 2021. This decline in import value is due to the aforementioned corporate restructuring in response to changes to the Dutch tax system.
In the case of imports too, computer services are by far the largest component of telecommunications, computer and information services, while in financial services it is notable that the indirect financial services share (FISIM) is somewhat larger than in the case of exports. Imports of direct financial services also increased considerably between 2019 and 2021.
| 2021* | 2019* | |
|---|---|---|
| R&D services | 7.2 | 9.4 |
| Professional and management consulting services |
36.8 | 34.7 |
| Trade-related and other business services |
26.4 | 30.5 |
| . | . | |
| Maritime transport | 8.7 | 5.3 |
| Air transport | 4.2 | 6.7 |
| Other transport | 24.6 | 21.3 |
| Postal and courier services | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| . | . | |
| Franchises and similar trademarks | 11.7 | 11.4 |
| Fees for the use of R&D | 1.7 | 5.4 |
| Fees for the use of software | 8.2 | 32.2 |
| Fees for the use of audiovisual products |
9.5 | 13.0 |
| . | . | |
| Telecommunications services | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| Computer services | 15.0 | 13.8 |
| Information services | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| . | . | |
| Financial services (direct) | 11.8 | 7.6 |
| Financial services (indirect: FISIM) | 3.4 | 3.2 |
The largest share of services is imported from the United States (Figure 4.3.4). That has not changed since 2019, and the import value of €38.3 billion in 2021 almost marks a return to the 2019 level. The United Kingdom, at €33.4 billion, was the second largest supplier of services to the Netherlands. These imports of services from the UK were substantially higher in 2021 than in 2019. Despite Brexit, the UK thus became increasingly important for the Netherlands in both the import and export of services. The shares of Ireland, Belgium, France and Poland also grew between 2019 and 2021; Switzerland and Bermuda became less important for the Netherlands in terms of service imports. In the case of Switzerland, changes in tax law are probably a factor once again. Bermuda was no longer even in the top 10 countries in terms of import value in 2021, whereas in 2019 it was still the third largest import partner.noot3 Imports of services from Germany grew compared to 2020, but were still €2.4 billion lower than in 2019. This is due to the substantial fall in expenditure by Dutch tourists and travellers in Germany as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
| 2019* | 2020* | 2021* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 38.8 | 36.7 | 38.3 |
| UK | 28.2 | 26.7 | 33.4 |
| Germany | 24.2 | 20.9 | 21.8 |
| Ireland | 12.5 | 13.8 | 15.5 |
| Belgium | 12 | 12.1 | 13.8 |
| France | 11.6 | 10.9 | 13.5 |
| Italy | 5.7 | 4.4 | 5.3 |
| Spain | 6.1 | 4.4 | 5.2 |
| Poland | 4.1 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Switzerland | 8.4 | 6.9 | 3.7 |
Figure 4.3.5 shows the shares of the five most important origin countries for each type of service in the top 5 imports. It shows that a large part of the business services come from the UK. As in the case of exports, Germany is an important supplier of transport services. Payments for the use or distribution of intellectual property are made principally to the US and Ireland. The five most important import countries make up nearly 90% of the import value of this service type. The top 5 origin countries have a fairly equal role in imports of telecommunications and computer services. Financial services are mostly sourced from the US, and to a large extent also from the UK.
| United States | United Kingdom | Germany | Ireland | Belgium | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business services | 8.5 | 16.4 | 7.5 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 29.6 |
| Transport services | 1.6 | 3.8 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 22.3 |
| Use of intellectual property | 16.4 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 6.2 | 0.2 | 3.3 |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 7.7 |
| Financial services | 7.1 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.8 |
4.4International service trade by region
This section focuses on the spatial distribution of enterprises with international trade in services.noot4 Distribution is measured here as the breakdown by COROP region of the business establishments of enterprises trading services internationally. The Netherlands has 40 COROP regions, each comprising various municipalities. Research shows that the bulk of international goods traders are concentrated in the Greater Amsterdam and Greater Rijnmond regions (CBS, 2017). It is notable that the dominance of these two regions is even greater in the case of the trade value of services. Figure 4.4.1 shows the top 10 COROP regions with the highest trade value of services in the Netherlands.
Almost half of Dutch service trade goes through business establishments in Greater Amsterdam
Almost half of the export and import value of services is accounted for by business establishments concentrated in the Greater Amsterdam region. This is hardly surprising, since Greater Amsterdam is the region with the highest number of business establishments and a major specialisation in services such as tourism, financial and business services. The top 5 regions in terms of the value of service trade also include Greater Rijnmond, Greater The Hague, South East Noord-Brabant and Utrecht. These five regions account for over 70% of all service trade in the Netherlands and for 38.5% of all Dutch business establishments trading in services. The role of these five regions has grown even more important compared to 2014 (CBS, 2017). Greater Amsterdam, for example, had a 27% share of the total import value in 2014 and 47% in 2020. With regard to export value, the figures were 38% in 2014 and 46% in 2020.
| 2020 | Share in total service exports | Share in total service imports |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Amsterdam | 46.1 | 47.3 |
| Greater Rijnmond | 12.7 | 13.0 |
| Greater The Hague | 6.8 | 6.0 |
| South East Noord-Brabant | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| Utrecht | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| West Noord-Brabant | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| North East Noord-Brabant | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| Het Gooi & Vechtstreek | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| South East Zuid-Holland | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Leiden & Bollenstreek | 1.5 | 1.7 |
If we look at the share of business establishments trading services as a proportion of total business establishments in each COROP region, three regions with a large number of traders stand out: Zeelandic Flanders with a service trader share of over 36%, followed by Mid Limburg with 28% and South Limburg with almost 27%. Regions in the south and east of the country, particularly along the national borders, have the largest concentration of service traders. Greater Amsterdam, with 23%, has a relatively large share of business establishments trading services: In these regions this may have to do with tourism and/or cross-border commuters.
| Share in total business establishments | |
|---|---|
| Zeelandic Flanders | 36.3 |
| Mid Limburg | 28.0 |
| South Limburg | 26.8 |
| North Limburg | 25.4 |
| West Noord-Brabant | 24.5 |
| South East Noord-Brabant | 24.1 |
| Greater Amsterdam | 23.3 |
| South West Overijssel | 22.6 |
| Twente | 22.4 |
| Mid Noord-Brabant | 22.1 |
The same sector is often dominant in both service imports and exports
Which sectors are dominant in each region? Table 4.4.3 shows the main sectors for the regions with the most service trade as in Figure 4.4.2, as well as the associated shares of these sectors in the total trade value. It is notable in the first place that the dominant sector in terms of export value and the dominant sector in terms of import value is often the same within a region. A second observation is that in a number of COROP regions the most important sector accounts for at least half of the trade value. In Zeelandic Flanders, for example, over 80% of the export value and 57% of the import value is generated by the manufacturing sector. In the Mid Noord-Brabant region, the transportation and storage sector is responsible for 52% of the value of service exports. Exports in North Limburg are also dominated by enterprises in the transportation and storage sector, with a share of 45%.
| Region | Export share | Export sector | Import share | Import sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | |||
| Zeelandic Flanders | 80 | Manufacturing | 57 | Manufacturing |
| Mid Limburg | 32 | Renting/leasing and other business services | 32 | Wholesale and retail trade |
| South Limburg | 29 | Transportation and storage | 40 | Manufacturing |
| North Limburg | 45 | Transportation and storage | 31 | Wholesale and retail trade |
| West Noord-Brabant | 42 | Transportation and storage | 29 | Transportation and storage |
| South East Noord-Brabant | 37 | Specialised business services | 36 | Manufacturing |
| Greater Amsterdam | 43 | Information and communication | 34 | Information and communication |
| South West Overijssel | 22 | Energy supply | 38 | Manufacturing |
| Twente | 41 | Manufacturing | 30 | Manufacturing |
| Mid Noord-Brabant | 52 | Transportation and storage | 31 | Wholesale and retail trade |
Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom are important trading partners of the Netherlands with regard to services.noot5 It is therefore interesting to know what share of the trade value in each region consists of trade with these countries. Figure 4.4.4 shows that East Groningen, Arnhem/Nijmegen and South East Drenthe, three regions bordering Germany, are the top 3 regions with the largest shares of exports to Germany. Over one-third of service exports from East Groningen go to Germany. With regard to imports of services from Germany, South East Friesland, East Groningen and South East Drenthe have the largest shares. The frontrunner in service exports to Belgium is the Mid Noord-Brabant region, with a share of 23%. For imports it is Zeelandic Flanders, with 29%. The COROP regions in Limburg are more focused on Germany than on Belgium when it comes to service exports and imports. The top regions for trade with the UK are IJmond for service exports and Greater Rijnmond for service imports.
| COROP-regio | Share |
|---|---|
| Oost-Groningen(CR) | 35.1 |
| Arnhem/Nijmegen(CR) | 31 |
| Zuidoost-Drenthe(CR) | 29.4 |
| Achterhoek(CR) | 28.8 |
| Zuidoost-Friesland(CR) | 28.4 |
| Zuidwest-Overijssel(CR) | 27.1 |
| Zuidwest-Drenthe(CR) | 25.6 |
| Zuid-Limburg(CR) | 23.9 |
| Noord-Limburg(CR) | 23.8 |
| Alkmaar en omgeving(CR) | 23.8 |
| Utrecht(CR) | 22.2 |
| Zuidwest-Gelderland(CR) | 21.6 |
| Zuidoost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 21.4 |
| Kop van Noord-Holland(CR) | 20.4 |
| Overig Groningen(CR) | 19.7 |
| Twente(CR) | 19.3 |
| Noord-Overijssel(CR) | 18.7 |
| Oost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 18.5 |
| Delfzijl en omgeving(CR) | 18.3 |
| Noord-Friesland(CR) | 17.9 |
| Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 17.9 |
| Noordoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 17.6 |
| Midden-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 17.4 |
| Veluwe(CR) | 16.6 |
| Flevoland(CR) | 15.6 |
| Zuidwest-Friesland(CR) | 14.8 |
| West-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 14.5 |
| Noord-Drenthe(CR) | 14.5 |
| Midden-Limburg(CR) | 14.3 |
| Delft en Westland(CR) | 13.7 |
| IJmond(CR) | 11.9 |
| Groot-Rijnmond(CR) | 11.5 |
| Groot-Amsterdam(CR) | 10.5 |
| Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek(CR) | 10.3 |
| Zaanstreek(CR) | 8.8 |
| Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen(CR) | 7.4 |
| Het Gooi en Vechtstreek(CR) | 6.5 |
| Agglomeratie 's-Gravenhage(CR) | 5.1 |
| Overig Zeeland(CR) | 4.4 |
| Agglomeratie Haarlem(CR) | 1.5 |
| COROP-regio | Share |
|---|---|
| Midden-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 23.2 |
| Zuidwest-Gelderland(CR) | 19.1 |
| Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek(CR) | 16.5 |
| Midden-Limburg(CR) | 16.0 |
| West-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 15.4 |
| Kop van Noord-Holland(CR) | 15.2 |
| Oost-Groningen(CR) | 13.9 |
| Zuidwest-Overijssel(CR) | 13.5 |
| Zaanstreek(CR) | 13.2 |
| Zuid-Limburg(CR) | 13.0 |
| Zuidwest-Friesland(CR) | 12.2 |
| Utrecht(CR) | 12.0 |
| Noordoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 11.8 |
| Achterhoek(CR) | 11.7 |
| Arnhem/Nijmegen(CR) | 10.9 |
| Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 10.8 |
| Veluwe(CR) | 10.8 |
| Noord-Friesland(CR) | 10.4 |
| Oost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 10.3 |
| Overig Zeeland(CR) | 9.8 |
| Zuidoost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 9.8 |
| Noord-Overijssel(CR) | 9.7 |
| Zuidoost-Friesland(CR) | 9.7 |
| Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen(CR) | 9.7 |
| Noord-Drenthe(CR) | 7.6 |
| Flevoland(CR) | 7.5 |
| Twente(CR) | 7.4 |
| IJmond(CR) | 6.9 |
| Groot-Rijnmond(CR) | 6.0 |
| Delft en Westland(CR) | 5.9 |
| Noord-Limburg(CR) | 5.9 |
| Zuidoost-Drenthe(CR) | 4.8 |
| Agglomeratie 's-Gravenhage(CR) | 4.4 |
| Alkmaar en omgeving(CR) | 4.3 |
| Overig Groningen(CR) | 4.0 |
| Het Gooi en Vechtstreek(CR) | 3.5 |
| Zuidwest-Drenthe(CR) | 3.4 |
| Groot-Amsterdam(CR) | 2.9 |
| Delfzijl en omgeving(CR) | 2.6 |
| Agglomeratie Haarlem(CR) | 1.3 |
| COROP-regio | Share |
|---|---|
| IJmond(CR) | 30.3 |
| Zuidwest-Drenthe(CR) | 20.9 |
| Noord-Drenthe(CR) | 20.9 |
| Agglomeratie 's-Gravenhage(CR) | 15.7 |
| Oost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 15.6 |
| Zuidoost-Friesland(CR) | 14.6 |
| Groot-Amsterdam(CR) | 13.6 |
| Noord-Friesland(CR) | 13.5 |
| Noord-Limburg(CR) | 12.6 |
| West-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 11.8 |
| Zuidwest-Gelderland(CR) | 11.6 |
| Utrecht(CR) | 11.5 |
| Groot-Rijnmond(CR) | 10.8 |
| Noordoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 10.7 |
| Kop van Noord-Holland(CR) | 10.6 |
| Zaanstreek(CR) | 10.4 |
| Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek(CR) | 10.3 |
| Overig Zeeland(CR) | 9.5 |
| Zuidwest-Overijssel(CR) | 9.2 |
| Zuidoost-Zuid-Holland(CR) | 9.1 |
| Veluwe(CR) | 8.6 |
| Overig Groningen(CR) | 8.4 |
| Flevoland(CR) | 8.2 |
| Midden-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 8.2 |
| Zuidoost-Drenthe(CR) | 8.2 |
| Delft en Westland(CR) | 7.6 |
| Arnhem/Nijmegen(CR) | 7.6 |
| Oost-Groningen(CR) | 7.4 |
| Twente(CR) | 7.4 |
| Achterhoek(CR) | 7.2 |
| Zuid-Limburg(CR) | 7.1 |
| Alkmaar en omgeving(CR) | 6.4 |
| Noord-Overijssel(CR) | 6.0 |
| Zuidwest-Friesland(CR) | 5.8 |
| Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant(CR) | 5.7 |
| Midden-Limburg(CR) | 5.0 |
| Het Gooi en Vechtstreek(CR) | 4.3 |
| Delfzijl en omgeving(CR) | 2.9 |
| Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen(CR) | 1.5 |
| Agglomeratie Haarlem(CR) | 1.0 |
4.5Importance of Dutch service trade for other countries
Section 4.2 shows among other things that the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany are the main partner countries for the Netherlands’ international service trade (see infographic below). But how important is the Netherlands for these – and other – countries with regard to their international service trade? In which countries does the Netherlands have a large market share in services, and has this share grown in recent years, or not? This section addresses such questions. To arrive at the figures on other countries’ service trade that are required for this analysis, we use data on international trade in services reported by the International Trade Center (ITC).
Belgium is most dependent on the Netherlands with regard to service exports
The Netherlands exported services worth €246 billion and imported services worth €237 billion in 2021. Table 4.5.1 shows the 10 partner countries with the largest shares of Dutch service exports in 2021. The biggest shares of Dutch services were imported by the United Kingdom (13.7%), Germany (12.8%) and the United States (11.7%). Partner countries with the largest shares of Dutch service imports are shown in Table 4.5.2. The largest shares of services were imported from the United States (19.1%), the United Kingdom (16.6%) and Germany (10.9%).
| Export value | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| x bn euros | % | |
| United Kingdom | 29.0 | 13.7 |
| Germany | 26.9 | 12.8 |
| United States | 24.7 | 11.7 |
| Ireland | 15.5 | 7.4 |
| Belgium | 12.5 | 6.0 |
| Switzerland | 12.2 | 5.8 |
| France | 11.4 | 5.4 |
| Italy | 5.7 | 2.7 |
| Sweden | 5.0 | 2.4 |
| Spain | 4.6 | 2.2 |
| Import value | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| x bn euros | % | |
| United States | 38.3 | 19.1 |
| United Kingdom | 33.4 | 16.6 |
| Germany | 21.8 | 10.9 |
| Ireland | 15.5 | 7.7 |
| Belgium | 13.8 | 6.9 |
| France | 13.5 | 6.7 |
| Italy | 5.3 | 2.6 |
| Spain | 5.2 | 2.6 |
| Poland | 4.5 | 2.3 |
| Switzerland | 3.7 | 1.8 |
Having identified the Netherlands’ main trading partners, we now use international data from the ITC to gauge the importance of the Netherlands for other countries. What is the Netherlands’ share of other countries’ imports and exports of services? The ITC Trade Map combines sources of the ITC itself, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
| Share | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Belgium | 14.7 | 1 |
| Germany | 5.9 | 5 |
| France | 5.8 | 6 |
| United Kingdom | 5.1 | 3 |
| Spain | 5.1 | 5 |
| Ireland | 3.3 | 7 |
| Italy | 3.3 | 8 |
| Sweden | 3.0 | 9 |
| Switzerland* | 2.8 | 8 |
| United States | 2.3 | 15 |
Source:ITC
| Share | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| % | ||
| Belgium | 14.8 | 1 |
| Ireland | 10.1 | 3 |
| Poland | 5.6 | 4 |
| France | 5.6 | 5 |
| Germany | 5.5 | 5 |
| Italy | 3.9 | 9 |
| United Kingdom | 3.9 | 6 |
| Spain | 3.7 | 8 |
| United States | 2.5 | 12 |
| Switzerland* | 2.3 | 8 |
Source:ITC
The Netherlands is Belgium’s most important trading partner for services
Tables 4.5.3 and 4.5.4 show the Netherlands’ share of exports and imports of services of the 10 largest Dutch partners in Tables 4.5.1 and 4.5.2. They also show the Netherlands’ position in the ranking of the main customers and suppliers in the respective country. With a share of almost 15% of total Belgian service exports, the Netherlands is the largest importer of Belgian services. It is followed by France, the United Kingdom and Germany as countries for which the Netherlands is also an important trading partner. The Netherlands takes around 5–6% of total service exports from these countries. With regard to service imports from Belgium, we see a similar picture to that of exports: here too the Netherlands has a share of nearly 15%. The Netherlands was therefore both the largest customer and the largest supplier of services for Belgium in 2019. As stated above in Tables 4.5.1 and 4.5.2, Belgium has become significantly less important as a destination country and origin country for services.
Germany is a bigger trading partner for the Netherlands than vice versa
As Tables 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 showed, Germany accounts for more than 10% of Dutch service imports and exports. Germany is also among the top 3 most important partner countries for both Dutch imports and exports. Conversely, 5.9% of Germany’s total service exports go to the Netherlands. The Netherlands therefore ranks fifth among German export markets, after the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and France. The Dutch share of Germany’s total service imports was 5.5% in 2019. Here too, the Netherlands ranks fifth after the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Austria. Service trade with Germany is thus more important for the Netherlands than trade with the Netherlands for our eastern neighbours.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||
| Belgium | 13.4 | 14.5 | 14.4 | 14.8 |
| Ireland | 9.2 | 11.0 | 12.6 | 10.1 |
| Iceland | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 7.6 |
| Singapore | 5.0 | 5.7 | 5.8 | - |
| Poland | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| France | 5.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| Germany | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| Sweden | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 5.2 |
| Finland | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.0 |
| Portugal | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
| Italy | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
| Hungary | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| United Kingdom | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Denmark | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Spain | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Russia | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 |
| Czech Republic | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Austria | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Estonia | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| Lithuania | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
| Luxembourg | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Greece | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| United States | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Switzerland | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | - |
| Slovakia | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Latvia | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Slovenia | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Japan | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.9 | - |
| Canada | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Australia | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | - |
Source:ITC
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||
| Belgium | 14.6 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.7 |
| Poland | 5.6 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 6.7 |
| Germany | 5.8 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| France | 5.7 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Lithuania | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| United Kingdom | 5.2 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| Spain | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Slovakia | 4.9 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Austria | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Hungary | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Portugal | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Czech Republic | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| Slovenia | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Ireland | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Italy | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Luxembourg | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Denmark | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Sweden | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Iceland | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| Finland | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.7 |
| Switzerland | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | - |
| Russia | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Latvia | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Estonia | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Greece | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| United States | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Japan | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | - |
| Singapore | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | - |
| Canada | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Australia | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | - |
Source:ITC
Poland has the largest share of service exports to the Netherlands after Belgium
For which other countries outside the main service trading partners do Dutch service imports and exports play a major role? Tables 4.5.5 and 4.5.6 show the Netherlands’ share of the total service imports and exports of the 30 countries in which the Netherlands had the largest share of the service flow. The Netherlands has a fairly major role in Polish service trade. Poland exports 6.7% of its services to the Netherlands and 5.6% of the total value of its service imports comes from the Netherlands. The Netherlands thus ranks fifth as a buyer of Polish service exports and is the fourth largest supplier of Polish imports. The share of Polish service exports and service imports to and from the Netherlands grew by 1.2 and 0.5 percentage points respectively between 2016 and 2019. The Netherlands imports particularly transport services from Poland. Examples include Polish freight forwarders who transport goods on behalf of Dutch enterprises. In addition, the Netherlands imports a relatively large amount of business services such as professional and management consulting services from Poland. Exports of services to Poland are spread relatively evenly among travel – largely Polish seasonal workers offering their services in the Netherlands – business services and exports of intellectual property, as well as payments for streaming content or licences for the use of trademarks.
Slight growth in Icelandic imports of Dutch services
Iceland has imported an increasing share of its services from the Netherlands over the years. In 2016, the Netherlands still accounted for 6.7% of Icelandic service imports, whereas in 2019 this share had grown to 7.6%. The Netherlands is thus Iceland’s fourth largest import partner. Dutch service imports from Iceland, at €253 million, are relatively small, however: the Netherlands is the ninth largest export market for Iceland. Over half of these exports consist of transport services from Iceland. Service exports from Iceland to the Netherlands have remained fairly stable over the years.
Swedish imports from the Netherlands are rising, but exports are falling
Sweden imported almost 34% more services from the Netherlands between 2016 and 2019. In 2016 the Netherlands’ share of Swedish service imports was still 3.9, whereas in 2019 it had grown to 5.2%, making the Netherlands the seventh largest import partner. Sweden receives particular business services, intellectual property and transport services from the Netherlands. The latter category involves particularly services for maritime and freight transport to Sweden. Conversely, the share of service exports to the Netherlands has decreased. The Dutch share of Swedish exports fell from 3.8% in 2016 to 3.0% in 2019. The Netherlands is the ninth largest destination for Swedish service exports.
Rise in Dutch share of Lithuanian service trade
Lithuania accounts for only a small share of Dutch service imports and exports, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. Conversely, the Netherlands plays a greater role in Lithuanian service trade. Lithuania imports 2.9% of its services from the Netherlands, representing growth of almost 32% compared to 2016, when Lithuanian service imports from the Netherlands amounted to 2.2%. The Netherlands is the 13th largest import partner for Lithuania. The share of Lithuania’s service exports going to the Netherlands has also grown during the period under review. It grew by almost 36% from 4.0% in 2016 to 5.4% in 2019. This was largely due to services provided by Lithuanian freight forwarders. The Netherlands is Lithuania’s fifth largest export market.
It is clear that the Netherlands is an important player in international trade in services, not only for its principal trading partners but also for countries with a smaller share of Dutch service imports and exports. Dutch service trade is also strong in specific areas, such as transport services, business services and the management and distribution of intellectual property. These types of services are clearly reflected in the trade with our main trading partners, as well as in trade with smaller countries. Travel services play a relatively major role in service trade with typical holiday destinations and neighbouring countries (partly due to cross-border or seasonal labour and day visitors).
4.6References
References
Berentsen, L. (2019). Nederland moet dit jaar laten zien dat het ernst is met fiscaal charmeoffensief. Financieel dagblad.
CBS (2022). Fewer goods, more services to the UK in 2021. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire.
CBS (2017). Internationalisation Monitor 2017, second quarter: International trade in services. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire.
Cremers, D. & Jaarsma, M. (2020). Dienstenhandel en zwaartekracht; anders dan goederenhandel? In S. Creemers & M. Jaarsma (Eds.). Internationalisation Monitor 2020, third quarter: International trade in services and R&D. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire.
Cremers, D., Creemers, S., Franssen, L., Jaarsma, M., Rud, I. & Van den Berg, M. (2022). Dienstenexport naar een nieuw EU-land: kansen en belemmeringen. In D. Herbers & J. Rooyakkers (Eds.). Internationalisation Monitor 2022, second quarter: International trade in services, developments and barriers. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire.
DNB (2020). Afname activiteiten vooral van kleinere bfi’s. Amsterdam: De Nederlandsche Bank.
Lejour, A., Möhlmann, J. & Riet, M. van ’t (2019). Doorsluisland NL doorgelicht. CPB policy brief.
Poulissen, D., Rooyakkers, J. & Smit, R. (2022). De internationale dienstenhandel in woelige tijden. In D. Herbers & J. Rooyakkers (Eds.). Internationalisation Monitor 2022, second quarter: International trade in services, developments and barriers. Statistics Netherlands: The Hague/Heerlen/Bonaire.
Noten
The large movements in the export value of fees for the use and distribution of software and proprietary software rights that occurred before 2020 will disappear in subsequent publications. A large part of this flow consists of a type of financial flow which, according to a recent decision, is no longer to be included in international service trade. This flow will therefore disappear in future calculations of the time series used for international service trade. There was insufficient time to make the necessary amendments to the time series before the publication date of this report.
The large changes in the value of exports to Ireland before 2020 will disappear in later publications. A large part of this flow consists of a type of financial flow which, according to a recent decision, is no longer to be included in international service trade. This flow will therefore disappear in future calculations of the time series used for international service trade. There was insufficient time to make the necessary amendments to the time series before the publication date of this report.
The large changes in import value from Bermuda before 2020 will disappear in later publications. A large part of this flow consists of a type of financial flow which, according to a recent decision, is no longer to be included in international service trade. This flow will therefore disappear in future calculations of the time series used for international service trade. There was insufficient time to make the necessary amendments to the time series before the publication date of this report.
The figures in this section relate to the number of Dutch enterprises with international service trade (see also Chapter 5 on businesses trading internationally). To that end links were made between the international service trade data and all the business units listed in the General Business Register (ABR) for the year in question. As not all international service trade can be linked to an enterprise registered in the ABR, the total figures are lower than the value of service trade in sections 4.2 and 4.3, and lower than reported on StatLine. For example, this study did not include services supplied or received by individuals (e.g. travel services), government organisations or multinationals’ financial flows.
International trade information (value and partner) is only available at enterprise level. In order to determine the precise geographic location of the enterprise, this trading information has been further regionalised to the level of the local business establishment. In most cases the enterprise is small and comprises only one office. In that case the enterprise’s international trade is allocated to the region in which the business is established. If the enterprise has more than one business establishment, the trade value is distributed among the various business establishments, and hence among the COROP regions, in proportion to the number of employees in each business establishment.