International trade in goods
This chapter focuses on the international trade in goods. What did the Dutch goods trade look like in 2023? How did it develop in terms of value, price and volume compared to a year before? Which products were imported or exported more than a year before, and which were imported or exported less? What were the most important countries of origin and destination for Dutch trade in goods? How important was the Netherlands to the goods trade of other countries worldwide? How did the Dutch market share in global trade develop? In this chapter, we answer these and many other questions by analysing the composition and the geographical dimension of Dutch goods imports and exports.
3.1Key findings
Dutch goods exports in 2023
- Dutch goods exports declined by 5.9% in 2023, to a total of €686.6bn.noot1 Re-exports fell by 6.7%, slightly more than the 5.1% drop in domestic exports.
- This decline in export value was due to a drop in both volume and price, with the price decrease (–3.2%) playing a larger role than the volume decrease (–2.7%).
- Notably, the lower price of mineral fuels and chemical products, along with the decline in the volume of mineral fuels, contributed to the absolute decrease in the value of goods exported in 2023.
- Europe remained the primary export destination, as in previous years, with 77% of Dutch export value going to European countries. Germany, Belgium and France were again the Netherlands’ most important markets for Dutch goods within Europe in 2023.
- Machines and equipment were the most exported items (by value) in 2023, followed by manufactured goods and mineral fuels.
- Of total Dutch exports, 54 percent went to the Netherlands’ five main trading partners: Germany, Belgium, France, the UK and the US. Germany imported the most goods by far in all product categories.
- There are clear differences in re-exports and domestic exports in the different categories. Transportation equipment, with a share of over 70%, comprised a large share of Dutch domestic exports. Raw materials and natural products – a category that includes goods such as flowers and plants – and food and beverages also include many Dutch domestic exports. In the categories of manufactured goods and machinery and equipment, by contrast, re-exports were more common.
- The closer the destination country is to the Netherlands, the more re-exports there are. Neighbouring countries such as Germany (60 percent) and Belgium (55 percent) received more re-exports than other major trading partners such as the US (30 percent) and China (20 percent).
- Refined petroleum products, other machinery and telephones were the Netherlands’ top three exports. Mineral fuels (crude oil, petroleum-based products and natural gas) and chemicals (medicines, pharmaceuticals and chemicals) fell sharply in price in 2023. Machinery, by contrast, saw a sharp price increase in 2023. Export volumes of petroleum products, other machinery, telephones and natural gas declined, while exports of medicines, medical products and laptops and tablets increased.
Dutch goods imports in 2023
- Dutch goods imports fell by 8.9% to a total of €614.9bn in 2023, a steeper decline than goods exports.
- The decrease in import value was due to a 5.5% price decline and a 3.4% drop in volume.
- The lower price of imported mineral fuels and chemical products was largely responsible for the decline in import value, along with the volume decline in imported manufactured goods and mineral fuels.
- The most important import categories by value were manufactured goods and machines and equipment. Mineral fuels dropped to the third most significant import category.
- Around 59 percent of all imported goods came from other European countries. As last year, the US increased in importance in terms of Dutch imports. This increase can be attributed specifically to a rise in natural gas imports.
- Germany, the US and Belgium were the primary countries of origin by import value. Imports from Russia – a country from which the Netherlands had been importing a large amount of mineral fuels before the outbreak of war in Ukraine – fell by 76 percent. The value of imports from China also dropped sharply in 2023. This was mainly due to lower imports of phones and laptops and computers.
- Crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products are the main imports. All three of these saw a significant fall in prices; only crude oil saw an increase in volume. The Netherlands also imported fewer phones, laptops and tablets by volume in 2023. Imports of medicines, automobiles and pharmaceutical products increased.
Importance of the Netherlands in world exports and imports
- The international figures are based on the CHELEM International Trade database of the Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales (CEPII) in France. The most recently available figures on this date from 2022.
- In 2022, the Netherlands accounted for 2.9% of global exports. In terms of global goods exports, the Netherlands ranked sixth after China, the US, Germany, Japan and South Korea. China exported the most goods of any country in the world, with a share of exports of 15.7% in 2022.
- Of all goods imported into Belgium in 2022, nearly 19% (by value) came from the Netherlands, making it the top country of origin for Belgian goods imports. For Sweden and Germany, the Netherlands was the second most important supplier.
- Globally, the Netherlands ranked sixth as a goods importer in 2022, following the US, China, Germany, Japan and France. The Netherlands contributed 3.3% to global goods imports in 2022. The US remained the largest importer with a share of total goods imports of 13.1% by trade value.
How important is the Netherlands as a trading partner for other economies?
- The Netherlands increased its share of Austrian and Taiwanese goods imports in 2022 compared to the previous year. However, the Dutch share of German, UK and Czech goods imports decreased.
- The Netherlands is also a significant destination for goods exported from various countries. In 2022, 27% of all goods exported from Iceland were destined for the Netherlands, making it Iceland’s primary export destination. Similarly, the Netherlands ranked first for goods exports from Cameroon, and was the third for Belgium in 2022.
- The Dutch share in Norwegian goods exports decreased in 2022. However, the Netherlands increased its share in goods exports from Hong Kong in 2022. The Dutch market share of Russia’s export value was 4.5 percentage points lower in 2022 compared to 2021, before the war broke out in Ukraine.
Outline
This chapter considers both the composition and geographical dimension of the Dutch goods trade. In sections 3.2 through to 3.4 we consider that trade from a Dutch perspective. In section 3.2, we describe the key developments in the Dutch goods trade and changes in volume and price. We discuss Dutch exports of goods in more detail in section 3.3. What is the composition of Dutch exports? How important are other countries for Dutch goods exports? Section 3.4 provides details of Dutch goods imports. In sections 3.5 and 3.6, the roles are reversed and we look at the significance of the Netherlands as a supplier and buyer of goods from the perspective of the rest of the world, based on international data.noot2
3.2Key developments in Dutch goods trade in 2023
Value of goods exports in 2023 lower than in 2022
2023 was an exceptional year in several respects. In terms of trade, tensions between the US and China rose, the war in Ukraine dragged on and conflicts in the Middle East flared up still further. At the same time, production chains stabilised and the international goods trade cooled off following the COVID-19 pandemic (UNCTAD, 2024). The balance between global supply and demand for goods improved, helping to level out the peaks in inflation seen in 2022.
Figure 3.2.1 shows the import and export value of the Dutch goods trade over recent years. In 2023, the Netherlands exported €686.6bn worth of goods abroad. That was 5.9% less than in 2022, when trading values were at extremely high levels, in part due to the spike in inflation. In 2023, the Netherlands imported €614.9bn worth of goods. Import value also fell compared to 2022, by 8.9%.
Alongside changes in total import and export values, Figure 3.2.1 also shows the breakdown of exports by domestic exports and re-exports. In the case of re-exports, the products do come into the ownership of a firm or person based in the Netherlands, but no substantial processing takes place before they are exported again. Per euro of export value, earnings from domestic exports are higher than from re-exports. Chapter 6 of this publication looks at export earnings in more detail. With a reduction of 6.7% compared to 2022, re-exports fell more markedly than domestic exports (–5.1%) in 2023.noot3
| jaar | categorie | Domestic exports | Re-exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023* | Exports, 2023* | 347.6 | 339.0 | . |
| 2023* | Imports, 2023* | . | . | 614.86 |
| 2022* | Exports, 2022* | 366.2 | 363.4 | . |
| 2022* | Imports, 2022* | . | . | 674.97 |
| 2019 | Exports, 2019 | 261.6 | 233.4 | . |
| 2019 | Imports, 2019 | . | . | 434.36 |
| 2015 | Exports, 2015 | 220.8 | 185.1 | . |
| 2015 | Imports, 2015 | . | . | 356.41 |
Price and volume changes in goods trade
The goods trade which is discussed in this chapter is traditionally only expressed in euros: the value of the trade in the prices of that moment. Those current prices therefore conceal changes in the volume of trade. In particular due to price falls in 2020 and significant price rises in 2021 and 2022 compared to a year before, an analysis focused purely on changes in the value of trade would be too one-sided. In this chapter, we therefore show, for the first time, the price and volume changes in Dutch trade in detail for 2023, alongside the changes in the value of trade which are discussed extensively.
Price developments in international trade are important not only to obtain a comprehensive picture of trade: they also play a key role in domestic inflation. In a small and open economy like the Netherlands, domestic consumer and producer prices are partly determined by price developments elsewhere. For example, Bonam (2024) sees a relationship between price rises and the share of imported intermediate goods. An important factor in this are energy prices (oil and gas), which fluctuate considerably. Oil and gas are not only used directly by consumers as fuel for cars and home heating, they are also used by firms in their production processes, which means those prices are then passed onto consumers in the prices of the end products. As such, mineral fuels have a major impact on price developments of goods and services.
Price developments in international trade at CBS
CBS uses two statistical concepts when measuring Dutch international trade. The International Trade in Goods Statistics (ITGS) – on which this chapter is largely based – takes border crossings as their starting point. The CBS National Accounts are based on the transfer of ownership of goods between a resident and a non-resident. These import and export figures based on the ownership principle presented in real terms, that is to say they are corrected for price rises. This sheds light on the volume development of total Dutch goods trade (CBS, 2024a). However, this does not take place at country and product level. For this reason, new price and volume figures have been developed based on the concept of border crossing, which are used for the first time in this chapter. The method is still in development, which means that the figures shown here are provisional.
Fall in international trade prices in 2023 after two years of price rises
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, falling demand, disagreements between oil-producing countries and economic uncertainty, the prices of many goods fell in 2020. In particular, the price of oil and petroleum products fell sharply. This in turn had an impact on the prices of other goods. From late 2020, and especially in 2021 and 2022, the demand for goods picked up again. At the same time, manufacturers were hit by logistical problems and later by other disruptions to international trade, such as the war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China and the trade war between the US and China. Because in many cases supply was unable to meet demand, prices rose significantly in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the situation normalised somewhat, resulting in prices fell somewhat compared to a year before.
Figure 3.2.2 shows the development of value, price and volume of goods imports and exports over recent years.noot4 Imports and exports developed in a similar way. Value and price growth in 2021 and 2022 were strikingly higher than in other years. In the other years, the developments were negative. The falls in prices in 2020 and 2023 are linked in part to sharp falls in the price of oil compared to the year before. Although value growth in 2022 was huge, it was largely accounted for by increased prices; the volume of trade actually decreased.
In 2023, that trend of falling trade volumes continued, which, combined with price falls, produced the reduction in the value of the international goods trade. After two years of unprecedented growth in trade value, the value of Dutch trade fell in 2023. The global trade in goods also declined, with China being an exception (CPB 2024). The value of Dutch goods exports was 5.9% lower in 2023 than in 2022. At the same time, weighted export prices were 3.2% lower on average than a year before. The decline in export value may therefore be partly explained by lower prices, but also by a volume reduction of around 2.7%. The reduction in import value was greater. In 2023, the import value of goods fell by 8.9%. The fall in prices of imported goods – 5.5% on average – played an important role in this. Import volume contracted by 3.4%.
| Stroom | Jaar | Value | Price | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imports | 2020*, Imports | -7.8 | -4.8 | -3.0 |
| Imports | 2021*, Imports | 24.4 | 16.3 | 8.1 |
| Imports | 2022*, Imports | 28.1 | 30.5 | -2.4 |
| Imports | 2023*, Imports | -8.9 | -5.5 | -3.4 |
| Exports | 2020*, Exports | -6.3 | -3.5 | -2.8 |
| Exports | 2021*, Exports | 22.1 | 11.1 | 11.0 |
| Exports | 2022*, Exports | 23.8 | 28.6 | -4.8 |
| Exports | 2023*, Exports | -5.9 | -3.2 | -2.7 |
In Figure 3.2.3, we further break down the volume development of goods imports and exports for 2023 compared to 2022 by product type. Although the average weighted volume development of trade in 2023 was negative – which is to say that the trade volumes of imports and exports were lower on average than a year before – that was not true for all goods. As may be seen in the figure, mineral fuels, (imports of) manufactured goods, food and beverages and raw materials and natural products in particular saw (large) falls in volume. Natural products also include, amongst others, oilseeds, wood and natural oils and fats. The traded volumes of transport equipment, chemical products (exports) and machinery (exports) did increase compared to a year before.
In sections 3.3 and 3.4, which look at goods exports and imports in detail, we show the price and volume development of the most important products (specified in more detail), allowing us to better interpret the overall change in value.
| Productgroep | Imports | Exports |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical products | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Manufactured goods | -5.3 | -1.6 |
| Machinery and equipment | -1.2 | 0.3 |
| Mineral fuels | -5.8 | -8.1 |
| Raw materials and natural products |
-5 | -2.5 |
| Transport equipment | 6.2 | 2.7 |
| Food and beverages | -1 | -2.4 |
Europe the most important market for Dutch exports
In 2023, Europe was once again by far the largest market for Dutch exports.noot5 Figure 3.2.4 shows that in 2023, 77.3% (€530bn) of total export value went to other European countries, which is similar to the share in 2022. In absolute terms, exports to the different continents fell, except for the ‘other’ region. Thanks to the free internal market, much of Europe is easy for the Netherlands to sell products to. As such, the European export market also receives a relatively large amount of re-exports from the Netherlands: 56% of total exports in 2023. Domestic exports are significantly higher to every other region, with a share of around 70%.
| jaar | Europe | Americas | Asia | Africa | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 314.4 | 29.9 | 45.3 | 13.8 | 2.5 |
| 2019 | 371.7 | 42.2 | 54.4 | 16.4 | 10.3 |
| 2022* | 568.8 | 55.4 | 70.4 | 21.4 | 13.6 |
| 2023* | 530.6 | 54.7 | 71.9 | 15.8 | 13.6 |
Imports more geographically diversified than exports
The Netherlands is also highly dependent on European countries for its imports of goods (see Figure 3.2.5). But with a share of over 59% of all goods imports, Europe plays a significantly smaller role than in exports (78%). That share has fallen since 2021 – when it was 64% – while the Americas region, by contrast, has become more important as a supplier over the years. Whereas in 2021, only 11.5% of all the import value of goods came from the Americas, by 2023 that had increased to nearly 15%. With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the decision by the EU to scale back imports of Russian energy products in order to reduce its dependence on Russia, there was a need to identify alternative energy suppliers. The Americas, and the US in particular, proved a useful substitute as a region of origin. For instance, imports of liquid natural gas (LNG) from the US grew spectacularly: in 2020 there were no imports of LNG, while by 2023 it was the second-largest import product from that country, with a value of €11bn. As a result, the Americas was the only region that saw an absolute rise in import value in 2023 compared to 2022. The share of imported products from the Americas rose, while the share of the other regions declined somewhat in 2023.
| jaar | Europe | Asia | Americas | Africa | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 228.6 | 75.6 | 39.2 | 11.6 | 1.3 |
| 2019 | 273.0 | 94.0 | 49.6 | 12.1 | 5.7 |
| 2022* | 406.6 | 149.9 | 85.8 | 25.4 | 7.2 |
| 2023* | 364.6 | 132.8 | 91.6 | 21.3 | 4.6 |
3.3Dutch goods exports in detail
Reduction in export value of mineral fuels largely due to fall in price
Dutch goods exports were worth €686.6bn in 2023, 5.9% less than in 2022. Figure 3.3.1 shows that the most important factor in this fall is related to mineral fuels. The export value of this product category fell by 25% in 2023 to around €121bn, with lower prices explaining –17% and a reduction in volume of –8%.
Mineral fuels were no longer the most important product category in Dutch exports in 2023. Machinery and equipment, which had always been the most important product category before 2022, moved back into first place. In 2023, machinery and equipment worth €157bn were exported. Exports of machinery and equipment were higher than in 2022 in terms of value, as were exports in the food and beverages and transport equipment product categories. Important countries of destination for machinery and equipment included Germany, France, the US and South Korea. A notable climber was China. In 2022, the Netherlands exported €5.4bn worth of machinery and equipment to China; in 2023, that rose by 84% to €9.9bn. A substantial part of the increase was accounted for by higher prices of exports in this goods category.
The food and beverages product category is a relatively important export category for the Netherlands: with a share of 63% of domestic goods exports, the Netherlands’ earnings from this product category are relatively high. Neighbouring countries such as Germany, Belgium and France are important markets for these products, with Germany being by far the most important destination, accounting for 24% of the total.
| 2023* | 2022* | 2019 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | 157.0 | 147.1 | 113.4 | 89.1 |
| Manufactured goods | 134.6 | 140.2 | 103.0 | 81.2 |
| Mineral fuels | 120.5 | 161.0 | 72.6 | 60.4 |
| Chemical products | 112.2 | 124.1 | 82.0 | 70.8 |
| Food and beverages | 90.7 | 86.9 | 67.9 | 57.4 |
| Raw materials and natural products | 36.8 | 39.3 | 28.7 | 25.8 |
| Transport equipment | 34.9 | 30.8 | 27.4 | 21.1 |
Most important trading partners saw fall in export value and share in 2023
Germany, Belgium, France and the UK are the four most important destinations for Dutch exports. However, export values to those countries decreased in 2023. Figure 3.3.2 shows Dutch export value to the most important destinations. Partly due to the fall in export value of mineral fuels, large volumes of which are exported to our neighbouring countries, the share of our two most important export partners, Germany and Belgium, declined.
The UK, the fourth most important export partner in 2023, saw a relatively modest fall of 0.5% relative to 2022. Export value to the US grew slightly by €327 million. An increase in exports of machinery and equipment to the US, from €9.7bn in 2022 to €11.7bn in 2023, was largely responsible for this. The products in question were primarily specialised machines and laptops and tablets.
For two other important export partners, there were also increases in export value. Substantially more exports went to China, the ninth-largest export partner, in 2023 than in 2022. Total export value to that country increased by €3.4bn to €18.1bn. Again, a sharp increase in exports of machinery and equipment – in particular chip-making equipment – was responsible for the rise. South Korea, which occupies eleventh place in the list of export partners, also received more goods from the Netherlands. This was again due to increased exports of machinery and equipment, which rose by €951 million (+15%). The value of exports to Taiwan, by contrast, fell significantly compared to 2022 – by 29% to €8.0bn in 2023. Last year, Taiwan received substantially less machinery and equipment from the Netherlands in terms of value.
| land | 2023* | 2022* | 2019 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 155.6 | 178.4 | 107.1 | 93.1 |
| Belgium | 79.6 | 87.9 | 56.3 | 46.8 |
| France | 55.4 | 59.0 | 38.6 | 32.0 |
| UK | 43.1 | 43.3 | 39.8 | 36.5 |
| US | 34.8 | 34.4 | 25.8 | 17.5 |
| Italiy | 28.4 | 30.1 | 19.1 | 16.3 |
| Spain | 22.1 | 21.7 | 14.8 | 11.5 |
| Poland | 19.3 | 19.7 | 11.3 | 9.3 |
| China | 18.1 | 14.7 | 12.1 | 8.2 |
| Sweden | 14.8 | 14.8 | 9.4 | 7.4 |
| South Korea | 10.2 | 9.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Switzerland | 9.4 | 8.4 | 6.5 | 5.3 |
| Denmark | 8.8 | 9.3 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
| Czechia | 8.6 | 9.0 | 6.4 | 5.6 |
| Ireland | 8.3 | 7.2 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
Figure 3.3.3 shows changes in export value and export volume in 2023 for the the Netherlands’ main partners. They vary considerably from one country to the next. This is mainly due to the types of products that are traded with each country. Due to specialisation and/or the presence of raw materials and auxiliary materials, the trade portfolio with every country is different, as is reflected in the value and price development per country. For example, we export a lot of refined petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene to neighbouring countries. Due to reductions in export volume and, in particular, the price of fuels, the export value of these products has fallen significantly.
The overall reduction in the volume of exports is clearly visible in exports to our main trading partners, because we export many different products to those partners and, as such, they are a good reflection of the Dutch export portfolio. The value of exports to Germany, Belgium and France all fell. In the case of Germany, this was primarily due to reduced trade volumes (in telephones as well as mineral fuels). The value of exports to Belgium and France fell mainly due to lower prices. Alongside mineral fuels, this lower export value is explained by the fall in prices of many chemical products, including medicines.
The only country in the top 10 for which export value increased (substantially) was China. This was primarily due to volume growth in exports of specialised (chip-making) machines, and the higher prices paid for these.
| Land | Value | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | -12.7 | -4.6 |
| Belgium | -9.5 | 0.1 |
| France | -6.1 | -0.5 |
| UK | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| US | 1.0 | -0.4 |
| Italiy | -5.5 | 0.8 |
| Spain | 1.6 | 4.2 |
| Poland | -1.8 | 0.6 |
| China | 23.4 | 4.8 |
| Sweden | 0.3 | 4.1 |
Top 5 trading partners most important for mineral fuels
More than half (53.7%) of Dutch goods exports went to the five biggest export partners: Germany, Belgium, France, the UK and the US. Two thirds of all mineral fuels exported by the Netherlands went to these countries: the highest share of all the product categories. At 33%, Germany remained the most dominant destination for mineral fuels, even if its share compared to 2022 did fall by 3 percentage points. Otherwise, only the German share in Dutch exports of food and beverages fell compared to 2022. At 43%, exports of machinery and equipment was least concentrated on our five biggest export partners; a relatively large proportion of goods in that product category also went to China, South Korea and Taiwan.
| categorie | Germany | Belgium | France | UK | US | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | 25.9 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 89.1 |
| Manufactured goods | 30.2 | 14.4 | 13.1 | 8.7 | 6.9 | 61.5 |
| Mineral fuels | 39.4 | 23.3 | 7.6 | 6.1 | 4.5 | . |
| Chemical products | 23.4 | 13.8 | 10.2 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 52.1 |
| Food and beverages | 21.4 | 11.7 | 8.1 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 40.3 |
| Raw materials and natural products | 9.4 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 17.3 |
| Transport equipment | 6.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 18.9 |
Slightly lower re-exports in 2023 compared to 2022
With major international transport nodes such as the port of Rotterdam and Schiphol, the Netherlands plays a key role in re-exports. There are major differences between different product categories in the relative shares of re-exports and domestic exports. Figure 3.3.5 reveals that only 38% of exports of manufactured goods are domestic exports. Products that fall under manufactured goods include medical instruments, clothing and instruments for measurement and analysis. On the other hand, more than 70% of all exports of transport equipment were domestic exports. The bulk of these were ships, trucks and parts for passenger cars.
At 59% and 62% respectively, machinery and equipment and manufactured goods accounted for a large proportion of re-exports, as has traditionally been the case. Typical products are computers, telephones and laptops, clothing and various consumer articles. These products are imported from countries such as China and the US, come into the ownership of a Dutch firm and are then exported again without any significant processing having taken place.
At first sight, the relatively high share of domestic exports in mineral fuels is remarkable. The Netherlands barely produces any crude oil, and natural gas production has also fallen significantly. However, the Netherlands does process crude oil into fuels like petrol and diesel on a large scale. The Dutch firm in question then exports those products to other countries such as Germany and Belgium, which means they count as domestic exports.
| categorie | Domestic exports | Re-exports |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | 64.8 | 92.2 |
| Manufactured goods | 50.6 | 84.0 |
| Mineral fuels | 69.2 | 51.2 |
| Chemical products | 56.7 | 55.5 |
| Food and beverages | 57.2 | 33.5 |
| Raw materials and natural products | 24.7 | 12.1 |
| Transport equipment | 24.5 | 10.4 |
High levels of re-exports to neighbouring and EU countries
Figure 3.3.6 shows the distribution between re-exports and domestic exports for Dutch exports to the 15 biggest trading partners. Countries like Germany, France and Belgium have relatively high proportions of re-exports, at 60%, 63% and 55%, respectively. At 30%, 20% and 11%, respectively, countries like the US, China and South Korea receive relatively few re-exports. The further away the country of destination lies from the Netherlands, the less logical it is that the Netherlands would function as a trade hub for that country. Moreover, EU countries have an internal market, which means that trade via the Netherlands does not generate any additional costs in the form of clearance or tariff costs at customs for other EU countries.
The UK has become less important as a destination for re-exports. In the 2015–2020 period, the ratio between re-exports and domestic exports was always around 48% re-exports, 52% domestic exports. On 31 January 2020, the UK left the EU and, nearly a year later, it also left the European internal market. As a result, the ratio had shifted to 40% re-exports, 60% domestic exports in 2023. This was due to the fact that the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, or TCA, resulted in a substantial increase in trade costs between the UK and the EU (Freeman et al., 2022). Whereas before Brexit, trade crossed borders unimpeded, goods now have to be cleared by customs. Without an internal market, re-exporting products is less attractive, which probably accounts for the fall in re-exports. See also Creemers et al., 2022. It should be noted that this does not apply to Northern Ireland. This is because that territory was accorded a special status within the UK, which means it is still part of the internal market; Northern Ireland actually has a relatively high level of re-exports.
| land | Domestic exports | Re-exports |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 62.0 | 93.6 |
| Belgium | 36.2 | 43.3 |
| France | 20.7 | 34.7 |
| UK | 25.7 | 16.6 |
| US | 24.4 | 10.4 |
| Italy | 10.5 | 17.9 |
| Spain | 8.5 | 13.5 |
| Poland | 7.9 | 11.4 |
| China | 14.6 | 3.6 |
| Sweden | 6.4 | 8.4 |
| South Korea | 9.0 | 1.2 |
| Switzerland | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Denmark | 4.0 | 4.8 |
| Czechia | 2.8 | 5.7 |
| Ireland | 3.9 | 4.4 |
| 1)Onboard provision is not included as a country. Onboard provision includes consumables and consumer goods supplied to ships and aircraft for the purpose of the voyage. Due to the international nature, the country of destination cannot be determined. | ||
Sharp fall in exported value of natural gas
Even if we use a more detailed product classificationnoot6, with a value of over €66bn, refined oil products remain the biggest export product. See also Figure 3.3.7. This represents a decline in comparison with 2022, when the exported value was nearly €80bn. Figure 3.3.7 shows the 15 most important goods exported by the Netherlands in 2023. Another important product in Dutch exports, which also falls under the mineral fuels category, is natural gas. The export value of natural gas also fell sharply, more so than that of petroleum products. Whereas €44.8bn worth of natural gas was exported in 2022, in 2023 the value fell by 47% to €23.5bn.
Also note that other machines are part of the larger category machinery and equipment. Whereas there was still a relatively high level of re-exports for the overall category (59%), for other machines (generally high-value, specialised machines), at 6% re-exports, that was barely the case. The vast majority are manufactured in the Netherlands and then exported; for example, advanced machines for the chip-making industry. The most important countries of destination for those machines were China, South Korea, Taiwan and the US.
| Omschrijving | Domestic exports | Re-exports |
|---|---|---|
| Refined petroleum products | 53.7 | 12.9 |
| Machinery and equipment | 24.7 | 1.7 |
| (Mobile) telephones, modems, routers |
2.8 | 22.4 |
| Natural gas | 4.4 | 19.1 |
| Medicines | 5.1 | 12.3 |
| Medicinal and pharmaceutical products |
5.2 | 10.7 |
| Crude oil | 0.1 | 15.7 |
| Other chemical products | 6.8 | 8.6 |
| Computers, laptops, tablets | 3.8 | 11.1 |
| Medical instruments and devices |
2.4 | 11.8 |
| Flowers and plants | 11.7 | 2.4 |
| Manufactured goods | 3.3 | 9.5 |
| Residues of petroleum oils | 6.8 | 2.2 |
| Vegetables | 6.2 | 2.5 |
| Processed foods | 6.0 | 2.7 |
The development in export value of the top 10 most important goods is again shown in Figure 3.3.8. Supplementary to Figure 3.3.7, this figure also shows the price and volume development of those goods. The price and volume of mineral fuels exported by the Netherlands – for instance, petroleum products, natural gas, crude oil and petroleum residues – fell substantially compared to 2022. The price of natural gas in particular fell significantly. This was due to a combination of large (imported) stocks, a mild winter and weak demand from the manufacturing sector (De Boer, 2024). The falling price of fossil fuels was largely responsible for the overall lower price of exports in 2023 that we saw in the preceding sections: both directly and indirectly through lower costs in the production processes of other goods. Partly as a result of that, products of the chemicals and pharmaceutical industry, which are largely dependent on mineral fuels (CLO, 2023), were also substantially cheaper in 2023 than in 2022.
The overall fall in volume was also largely caused by mineral fuels. Exports of other machines also contributed to this, with a significantly greater increase in price than value in 2023. Other machines, generally high-value specialised machines, have been increasing in price for a number of years due to further digitalisation and the automation of industry and society.
Finally, the prices of laptops, telephones and tablets exported from the Netherlands also fell slightly. This trend has also been ongoing for a number of years: ever better – and more expensive – models keep appearing on the market, as a result of which the existing models quickly become cheaper (Jongsma, 2024). As such, the average price fall and volume rise together produced an increase in value in 2023.
| Export | Value | Price | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refined petroleum products | -16.6 | -13.4 | -3.2 |
| Other machinery | 12.1 | 34.5 | -22.4 |
| (Mobile) telephones, modems, routers, etc |
1.9 | 6.8 | -4.9 |
| Natural gas | -47.4 | -31.1 | -16.3 |
| Medicines | 13.4 | -17.3 | 30.7 |
| Medicaments and pharmaceutical products |
18.2 | -12.1 | 30.3 |
| Crude oil | -17.2 | -17.8 | 0.6 |
| Other chemical products | -17.3 | -11.2 | -6.1 |
| Computers, laptops, tablets | 16.7 | -5.7 | 22.4 |
| Medical instruments and appliances |
6.6 | 1.1 | 5.5 |
3.4Dutch goods imports in detail
Machinery and equipment once again most important product category
Goods imports totalled just under €615bn in 2023. This means that imports, too, fell compared to 2022 (–8.9%). Figure 3.4.1 shows that, as with exports, mineral fuels were no longer the most important product category for imports. Mineral fuels had an import value of €133bn in 2023, around 22% less than in 2022. The most important product category in 2023, machinery and equipment, saw a slight fall in imports of around 2% compared to 2022, to €138.3bn. Imports of food and beverages did increase in 2023, by 4.4% to €59.2bn, and the import value of transport equipment also grew.
| categorie | 2023* | 2022* | 2019 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | 138.3 | 141.3 | 102.7 | 83.1 |
| Manufactured goods | 134.0 | 147.6 | 100.8 | 81.3 |
| Mineral fuels | 132.8 | 169.7 | 78.6 | 65.3 |
| Chemical products | 84.2 | 91.8 | 55.4 | 47.2 |
| Food and beverages | 59.5 | 57.9 | 43.9 | 38.3 |
| Transport equipment | 38.5 | 34.7 | 31.5 | 22.9 |
| Raw materials and natural products |
27.5 | 32.1 | 21.3 | 18.4 |
Shift in imports of mineral fuels continues
For imports, too, Germany was the Netherlands’ most important trading partner (see Figure 3.4.2). In absolute terms, the import volume from Germany remained virtually constant between 2022 and 2023, at around €103.3bn. In view of the overall reduction in import value, this means that Germany’s share in total imports grew, from 15.3% in 2022 to 16.8% in 2023. The share of imports from Belgium, our second most important trading partner, also remained the same, although their absolute value fell.
Imports from the US saw a substantial increase, both in share and in absolute value. Goods worth €64bn were imported from the US in 2023. Whereas the US share was always around 7.5% between 2015 and 2021, it rose to 8.4% in 2022 and to as high as 10.4% in 2023. That sharp increase in imports was the result of the rise in import value of mineral fuels, in particular crude oil and LNG. In 2021, around €8bn of mineral fuels were imported; by 2023, this had increased to nearly €26bn.
Import value from Russia falls by three-quarters between 2022 and 2023
While the total import value from Russia still increased in 2022 compared to a year before due to the high prices of energy products, in 2023, a sharp fall was recorded. The sanctions imposed by the EU from March 2022 thus had their effect on imports (European Council, 2024). In 2023, import value from Russia fell by a full 75.6% to €5.3bn. As a result, Russia also slipped outside the Netherlands’ top 20 biggest trading partners for imports. In 2021, Russia had been our sixth-largest supplier of goods.
Finally, there was also a significant shift with regard to one of the Netherlands’ main trading partners, China. Whereas China’s import share had increased in virtually every year between 2015 and 2022, that share fell significantly in 2023. China’s share as a country of origin for Dutch imports fell by 1.1 percentage points, to 8.4%, which equals a reduction of €12.8bn. That fall was primarily the result of lower imports of telephones and laptops and computers (CBS, 2023b).
| land | 2023* | 2022* | 2019 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 103.1 | 103.3 | 75.1 | 63.4 |
| US | 64.1 | 57.2 | 34.3 | 27.1 |
| Belgium | 62.8 | 67.7 | 44.7 | 37.3 |
| China | 51.5 | 64.2 | 37.6 | 29.1 |
| UK | 31.2 | 41.5 | 24.7 | 20.6 |
| France | 21.6 | 24.0 | 16.5 | 15.8 |
| Norway | 20.0 | 25.7 | 12.0 | 11.9 |
| Italy | 15.3 | 16.6 | 11.5 | 8.8 |
| Poland | 13.7 | 13.5 | 9.0 | 7.2 |
| Ireland | 12.5 | 11.0 | 7.3 | 4.7 |
| Spain | 11.4 | 12.6 | 8.9 | 6.9 |
| Sweden | 9.3 | 9.4 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| Japan | 8.6 | 9.0 | 7.7 | 6.9 |
| Denmark | 8.4 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Brazil | 8.3 | 7.7 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
In Figure 3.4.3, we also show changes in import volume and import value relative to 2022. The falls in the volume and value of imports from the UK and Norway stand out, which we can explain mainly with reference to mineral fuels. The rise in import volumes from Germany and the US is largely attributable to cars, other machines and medicines for Germany, and to mineral fuels, medical devices and consumer electronics such as telephones and laptops for the US. The sharp increase in import value and volume from Ireland is a result of increased imports of medicines and pharmaceutical products.
| Land | Value | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 13.0 | 16.7 |
| US | 12.0 | 16.6 |
| Poland | 0.9 | 3.4 |
| Germany | -0.2 | 6.2 |
| Belgium | -7.3 | -2.7 |
| Italy | -7.7 | -5.2 |
| France | -9.8 | -4.6 |
| China | -19.9 | -11.1 |
| Norway | -22.4 | -5.4 |
| UK | -24.8 | -18.9 |
Dutch imports more concentrated than exports
Of all Dutch imports, just under half came from the five biggest trading partners, i.e. Germany, the US, Belgium, China and the UK (see Figure 3.4.4). The rest, 51%, came from the rest of the world. This means that imports, at 49%, were slightly more concentrated among the five biggest trading partners than exports, with around 46% of all export value attributable to the five biggest trading partners.
Total import value from China fell in 2023. That reduction was seen across all product categories, with machinery and equipment (–44% import value) and manufactured products (–25%) seeing the largest falls. Although China’s share in transport equipment dropped by nearly 14% in 2023, the import value of Chinese passenger cars did increase substantially, by 372% (CBS, 2024c). With that growth, China accounted for nearly 3% of Dutch import value of cars in 2023.
| categorie | Germany | US | Belgium | China | UK | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical products | 18.1 | 9.0 | 14.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 34.6 |
| Manufactured products | 25.3 | 11.6 | 12.6 | 15.2 | 5.3 | 64.0 |
| Raw materials and natural products |
5.0 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 16.2 |
| Machinery and equipment | 23.8 | 12.1 | 5.6 | 27.9 | 6.2 | 62.5 |
| Mineral fuels | 7.9 | 25.8 | 12.3 | 1.2 | 11.7 | 74.0 |
| Transport equipment | 11.2 | 2.3 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 16.4 |
| Food and beverages | 11.8 | 1.3 | 9.4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 34.5 |
Crude oil remains the most important import product despite fall
Despite the significant falls in the import value of mineral fuels in 2023, the top-three import products continued to consist of goods in this product category (see Figure 3.4.5). The import value of crude oil, natural gas and refined oil products fell by 11%, 32% and 20%, respectively.
The most important products showing rises were medicines, with 15%, followed by passenger cars, with 26%. In 2023, there were shortages of various medicines (KNMP, 2024). As in 2022, the Netherlands imported more medicines, medicaments and pharmaceutical products from Germany than from any other country. The import value from that country rose by 17% in 2023, and substantially more medicines also came from Belgium, with a growth of 53%. As a result, Belgium took over second place from the US, which saw a fall of 4% compared to 2022. India, an important supplier of generic drugs, posted an increase of 21% in 2023, making it our eleventh-largest trading partner for imports of these goods.
| goederengroep | 2023* | 2022* |
|---|---|---|
| Crude oil | 50.7 | 56.9 |
| Natural gas | 39.1 | 57.3 |
| Refined petroleum products |
29.8 | 37.3 |
| (Mobile) telephones, modems, routers |
27.0 | 28.7 |
| Computers, laptops, tablets | 15.4 | 16.9 |
| Medicines | 14.9 | 12.9 |
| Passenger cars | 13.8 | 10.9 |
| Medicaments and pharmaceutical products |
13.4 | 11.1 |
| Medical instruments and devices |
12.2 | 11.2 |
| Other chemical products | 10.7 | 13.7 |
| Manufactured goods | 9.7 | 10.0 |
| Semi-conducters | 8.8 | 10.4 |
| Other machinery | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| Car parts | 8.3 | 7.6 |
| Electrical machinery, devices and appliances |
7.9 | 7.4 |
Changes in the value, volume and price of Dutch imports in 2023 are comparable to those for exports (see Figure 3.4.6 for the top 10). Imports of mineral fuels, such as crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products and energy-intensive goods such as chemical products and medicines, fell sharply in price due to lower oil and natural gas prices worldwide. Import volumes grew significantly for pharmaceutical products and medicines in 2023, as they did for medical instruments.
The import value of cars also increased significantly in 2023. Due to increased costs for producers and the strong position of car manufacturers – due to high demand following a number of bad years in the aftermath of the pandemic – new cars were more expensive in 2023 than in 2022 (Luman, 2024). Higher prices explain part of the rise in import value, but import volume also increased sharply in 2023.
| Import | Value | Price | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil | -10.9 | -15.7 | 4.8 |
| Natural gas | -31.8 | -18.9 | -12.9 |
| Refined petroleum products |
-20.2 | -12.5 | -7.7 |
| (Mobile) telephones, modems, routers, etc |
-5.8 | 1.3 | -7.1 |
| Computers, laptops, tablets | -9.1 | -1.3 | -7.8 |
| Medicines | 14.9 | -8.4 | 23.3 |
| Passenger cars | 26.4 | 4.6 | 21.8 |
| Medicaments and pharmaceutical products |
21.1 | 4.0 | 17.1 |
| Medical instruments and devices | 8.9 | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| Other chemical products | -22 | -19.5 | -2.5 |
3.5The importance of the Netherlands as a supplier of goods to other countries
In this section, we set out what share the Netherlands has in the goods imports of other countries. In addition to the importance of the Netherlands’ role and its share of imports abroad, we also look at its position in the list of key partners for other economies.
CEPII-CHELEM data
We base the results in sections 3.5 and 3.6 on the CHELEM International Trade database of the French Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales (CEPII), with the most recent year available being 2022. We use CEPII-CHELEM because of the long time series of fully harmonised and complete bilateral trade data that is available. By harmonisation we mean that the international trade has been fully ‘squared’: imports of product 1 by country X from country Y are exactly the same as exports of product 1 by country Y to country X. That may seem obvious, but it is rarely the case in bilateral statistics. The main source of the CEPII-CHELEM database is UN Comtrade, supplemented by data from international institutes such as the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD and UNCTAD and all kinds of national sources such as statistical offices. In principle, reporting is for trade without re-exports, but for some countries including the Netherlands, re-exports are included in the figures. See also Aerts et al. (2022) for more information.
The Netherlands was the world’s sixth-largest goods exporter in 2022
Figure 3.5.1 shows that the Netherlands was responsible for 2.9% of global exports in 2022. The Netherlands ranked sixth among the largest exporters of goods worldwide, after China, the US, Germany, Japan and South Korea. The Netherlands has managed to maintain a position among the biggest goods exporters worldwide, ranking between sixth and tenth since 1970. The contributions of neighbouring countries such as France (2.6%), Belgium and the UK (both 2.0%) to global exports are smaller than those of the Netherlands. The biggest increase we see in Figure 3.5.1 is for China. In 2022, China was responsible for 15.7% of global exports; in 1970, the figure was barely 0.6%. China has been the world’s leading exporter since 2005; however, we are seeing some slowing of the Chinese advance (Lucas, 2023).
| Jaar | China | US | Germany | Japan | South Korea | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.6 | 13.6 | 12.2 | 6.4 | 0.3 | 3.9 |
| 1971 | 0.6 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 4.1 |
| 1972 | 0.7 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 7.2 | 0.4 | 4.4 |
| 1973 | 0.8 | 12.3 | 13.0 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| 1974 | 0.7 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 6.9 | 0.6 | 4.1 |
| 1975 | 0.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 6.6 | 0.6 | 4.2 |
| 1976 | 0.7 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 7.1 | 0.8 | 4.3 |
| 1977 | 0.6 | 10.5 | 11.7 | 7.4 | 0.9 | 4.0 |
| 1978 | 0.7 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 1979 | 0.8 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 4.0 |
| 1980 | 0.9 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| 1981 | 1.1 | 11.6 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 1982 | 1.1 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 7.7 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 1983 | 1.1 | 10.6 | 10.1 | 8.4 | 1.4 | 3.8 |
| 1984 | 1.2 | 10.6 | 9.7 | 9.1 | 1.6 | 3.6 |
| 1985 | 1.3 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 1.6 | 3.6 |
| 1986 | 1.3 | 9.4 | 12.4 | 10.3 | 1.7 | 4.0 |
| 1987 | 1.4 | 9.2 | 12.7 | 9.6 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
| 1988 | 1.5 | 10.2 | 12.3 | 9.8 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
| 1989 | 1.7 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 3.6 |
| 1990 | 1.7 | 10.9 | 12.0 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 |
| 1991 | 2.1 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 9.2 | 2.1 | 3.8 |
| 1992 | 2.5 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| 1993 | 2.9 | 12.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
| 1994 | 3.2 | 11.6 | 10.0 | 9.6 | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| 1995 | 3.3 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 9.1 | 2.6 | 3.6 |
| 1996 | 3.5 | 11.2 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| 1997 | 3.9 | 11.9 | 9.2 | 7.8 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
| 1998 | 4.0 | 12.0 | 10.1 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 3.3 |
| 1999 | 4.5 | 11.8 | 9.7 | 7.6 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 12.4 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| 2001 | 5.7 | 12.0 | 9.1 | 6.6 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| 2002 | 6.7 | 10.9 | 9.3 | 6.5 | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| 2003 | 7.5 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| 2004 | 8.2 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 6.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| 2005 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 5.8 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| 2006 | 10.0 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
| 2007 | 10.6 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| 2008 | 10.6 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 4.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
| 2009 | 11.6 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| 2010 | 12.5 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| 2011 | 12.2 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| 2012 | 12.9 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| 2013 | 13.3 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 14.0 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
| 2015 | 15.7 | 8.9 | 7.9 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| 2016 | 15.1 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| 2017 | 14.6 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| 2018 | 14.7 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| 2019 | 14.9 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| 2020 | 16.3 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | 16.3 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
| 2022 | 15.7 | 8.3 | 6.8 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
10% of Swedish goods imports from the Netherlands
In 2022, the Netherlands was among the five most important goods suppliers for all the countries in Figure 3.5.2 – in terms of value. With a share of 18.5%, our country was the most important supplier of goods for Belgium in 2022. Mineral fuels dominated Belgian imports from the Netherlands, followed by chemical products, such as medicines and plastics, and manufactured goods such as medical instruments. See also CBS (2024d) for more details about the Belgian economy and the trade relationship between the Netherlands and Belgium. A tenth of Swedish goods imports came from the Netherlands in 2022. This made us Sweden’s second-largest trading partner after Germany; in 2015, the Netherlands was in third place. In 2022, the Netherlands supplied significantly more refined oil products and mobile telephones, modems and routers to Sweden than in 2015.
In 2022, Germany obtained 8.8% of all its goods imports from the Netherlands. The most important goods were mineral fuels, telephones, medicines, chemical products, flowers and plants, fruit and vegetables. In 2015, the share was higher, at 9.6%. In 2015, the Netherlands was Germany’s most important supplier, whereas in 2022 it was China. Germany imports a lot of raw materials from China, but also semiconductors and batteries (DNHK, 2022; Pohu, 2022).
| Importeur | 2022 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 18.5 | 16.7 |
| Sweden | 10.1 | 7.6 |
| Nigeria | 9.6 | 7.7 |
| Germany | 8.8 | 9.6 |
| Denmark | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| France | 7.5 | 5.6 |
| Finland | 6.4 | 7.1 |
| Luxembourg | 6.0 | 4.5 |
| Norway | 5.6 | 4.6 |
| Ireland | 5.6 | 4.7 |
| UK | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| Italy | 5.1 | 4.9 |
| 1)Only includes trade partners for which imports from the Netherlands were >= 5% of total imports and were worth >= 1 billion US dollars in 2022. | ||
EU share in UK imports in freefall
The UK’s departure from the EU internal market and the customs union in early 2021 caused a shock to trade between the UK and the EU, as we noted previously in relation to Dutch trade with the UK in Chapter 2 of this publication and the preceding sections of this chapter. Figure 3.5.3 shows changes in the scale of imports from the the UK’s ten most important trade partners in 2015. The importance of EU countries in total UK imports diminished under the influence of the UK’s departure from the EU: from 52% in 2015 to 43% in 2022. The Dutch share in UK goods imports shrank from 7% in 2015 to 5% in 2022. We see the biggest contraction in UK imports of goods from Germany. In 2015, Germany was the most important supplier of goods to the UK, with a share of 15%. By 2022, that share had fallen by 5 percentage points. Non-EU countries such as Norway, China and the US increased in importance in terms of UK imports.
| Partner | 2022 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 10.3 | 15.2 |
| China | 12.2 | 10.0 |
| US | 10.0 | 8.7 |
| Netherlands | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| France | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| Italy | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Belgium | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| Spain | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Norway | 7.9 | 3.3 |
| Ireland | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| EU-27 | 42.7 | 52.3 |
| 1)Refers to top 10 in the year 2015. | ||
Netherlands increases its share in Austrian goods imports
Table 3.5.4 only lists the trading partners that imported at least $1bn worth of goods from the Netherlands in 2022, but for which the Dutch share was less than 5%. This table is therefore supplementary to the trading partners shown in Figure 3.5.2. With a share of around 4%, the Netherlands occupies a relatively important position as a supplier of goods for Austria. In 2015, the Dutch share in Austrian goods imports was 1.0 percentage point smaller. Austria has grown in importance for Dutch exports of commodities including medicines and aluminium. In 2022, the Netherlands exported nearly 7% of its aluminium to Austria.
Taiwan imports a relatively large amount of goods from the Netherlands. In 2022, the Netherlands primarily supplied machines, including machines for the chip-making industry, to Taiwanese importers. In 2022, Taiwan was the main buyer of those machines, with a share of approximately 37%. In 2022, the Dutch market share in Taiwan’s imports was nearly 3 percentage points higher than in 2015.
Czechia obtained nearly 5% of all its imported goods from our country in 2015. By 2022, that had fallen to a share of nearly 4%. In particular, Czechia imported fewer machine parts and medicines from the Netherlands compared to 2015. In 2015, Czechia was the most important buyer of machine parts for our country, but by 2022 it had fallen back to ninth place. Rademakers et al. (2024) note a fall in Dutch exports of products including electrical devices to countries such as Poland, Czechia and Hungary. This reduction in exports to Western allies be may partly explained by the sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which prohibit those countries from acting as transit channels to Russia.
| 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | Ranking of the Netherlands in 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||||
| Poland | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4 |
| Portugal | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Spain | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Lithuania | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Greece | 5.5 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Austria | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Hungary | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 10 |
| Bulgaria | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Taiwan | 1.1 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Latvia | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Czechia | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Romania | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 10 |
| Croatia | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 10 |
| Israel | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 9 |
| Ukraine | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 15 |
| Morocco | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 11 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 12 |
| Turkey | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 13 |
| Egypt | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 13 |
| Russia | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 10 |
| Slovakia | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 12 |
| Switzerland | 3.6 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 13 |
| Slovenia | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 14 |
| Argentina | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 13 |
| Brazil | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 16 |
| South Korea | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 14 |
| US | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 19 |
| Australia | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 17 |
| Canada | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 14 |
| Singapore | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 20 |
| Mexico | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 15 |
| China | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 31 |
| India | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 26 |
| Japan | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 29 |
| Indonesia | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 25 |
| Thailand | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 27 |
| Malaysia | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 27 |
| Vietnam | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 24 |
| Hong Kong | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 23 |
Source:CEPII
1)Only trading partners with a share of less than 5% from the Netherlands and which imported goods with a value of 1 billion US dollars or more from the Netherlands in 2022.
3.6Importance of the Netherlands as a market for goods from other countries
In this section, we set out what share the Netherlands has in the goods exports of other countries. Alongside the Dutch share in the exports of other economies in terms of trade value, we also look at the Netherlands’ position on the list of the most important destinations for other economies.
Netherlands climbs to sixth position on the list of the world’s largest goods importers
Figure 3.6.1 shows that the Netherlands accounted for 3.3% of global imports in terms of value in 2022. In 2022, the Netherlands ranked sixth among importers worldwide, after the US, China, Germany, Japan and France. The previous year, our country had been in eighth place, after Hong Kong and the UK. In 2022, the Netherlands was the third-biggest European import country. The US was again the largest importing country in the world, with a 13.1% share of total global imports in 2022. China was second, with a share of 9.1%.
| Jaar | US | China | Germany | Japan | France | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12.5 | 0.6 | 10.0 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 4.3 |
| 1971 | 12.9 | 0.6 | 10.2 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 4.3 |
| 1972 | 13.1 | 0.6 | 10.2 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 4.2 |
| 1973 | 11.9 | 0.8 | 10.0 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 4.2 |
| 1974 | 11.3 | 0.8 | 8.9 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 4.1 |
| 1975 | 10.3 | 0.8 | 9.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| 1976 | 11.6 | 0.6 | 9.6 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 4.1 |
| 1977 | 12.4 | 0.7 | 9.7 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 4.2 |
| 1978 | 13.1 | 0.8 | 9.6 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.1 |
| 1979 | 12.6 | 1.0 | 9.9 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 4.1 |
| 1980 | 12.0 | 1.0 | 9.6 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 3.9 |
| 1981 | 13.2 | 0.9 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 3.4 |
| 1982 | 13.0 | 0.9 | 8.8 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 3.5 |
| 1983 | 14.3 | 1.0 | 8.9 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 3.6 |
| 1984 | 16.8 | 1.3 | 8.4 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.4 |
| 1985 | 17.1 | 1.9 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 3.5 |
| 1986 | 17.1 | 1.7 | 9.3 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 3.7 |
| 1987 | 16.2 | 1.5 | 9.4 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 3.8 |
| 1988 | 15.6 | 1.7 | 9.2 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 3.7 |
| 1989 | 15.3 | 1.6 | 9.0 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 3.6 |
| 1990 | 14.3 | 1.3 | 9.9 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 3.8 |
| 1991 | 13.7 | 1.6 | 10.6 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 3.7 |
| 1992 | 13.9 | 2.0 | 10.2 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 3.7 |
| 1993 | 15.5 | 2.7 | 9.1 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 3.4 |
| 1994 | 15.7 | 2.6 | 8.9 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 3.4 |
| 1995 | 14.7 | 2.7 | 9.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 3.4 |
| 1996 | 14.9 | 2.7 | 8.6 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 3.3 |
| 1997 | 15.7 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 3.3 |
| 1998 | 16.7 | 2.6 | 8.5 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 3.3 |
| 1999 | 18.1 | 2.7 | 8.2 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 3.4 |
| 2000 | 18.1 | 2.7 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 3.4 |
| 2001 | 17.5 | 3.1 | 7.5 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 3.4 |
| 2002 | 17.3 | 3.7 | 7.3 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 3.4 |
| 2003 | 16.1 | 4.5 | 7.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 15.5 | 5.0 | 7.3 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.4 |
| 2005 | 15.5 | 5.2 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.5 |
| 2006 | 15.0 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| 2007 | 13.6 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| 2008 | 12.6 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.7 |
| 2009 | 12.1 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| 2010 | 12.2 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| 2011 | 11.8 | 8.2 | 6.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| 2012 | 12.1 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| 2013 | 11.9 | 8.9 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 12.3 | 8.7 | 6.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 13.3 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| 2016 | 13.2 | 8.4 | 6.2 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
| 2017 | 12.8 | 8.9 | 6.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
| 2018 | 12.9 | 9.3 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| 2019 | 12.9 | 9.3 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 13.2 | 10.0 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| 2021 | 12.8 | 10.0 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| 2022 | 13.1 | 9.1 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Netherlands the most important market for exports from Iceland and Cameroon
In 2022, the Netherlands was among the five most important markets for goods for all the trading partners shown in Figure 3.6.2. Indeed, for Iceland and Cameroon, the Netherlands was the biggest buyer of goods in 2022. Some 27% of all Icelandic exports went to the Netherlands in 2022, primarily aluminium. The equivalent figure for Cameroonian exports was 19% (mainly crude oil, natural gas and cocoa).
For our neighbour Belgium, the Netherlands was the third-largest market for goods in 2022, with a 14% share. Belgium exported a higher value of goods to Germany and France. The package of Belgian exports destined for the Netherlands is very diverse – from refined oil products to medicines and passenger cars. In 2022, the UK exported 9% of its goods to the Netherlands. This made the Netherlands the U.K.’s second most important customer after the US. In 2022, 7% of Germany’s total goods exports went to the Netherlands. From a German perspective, the Netherlands was the fourth most important export partner; the US, France and China were the most important customers for goods exports from our eastern neighbours. In 2022, Germany was the biggest supplier of cars and car parts, medicines and machines and machine parts for our country.
In 2022, Ivory Coast sent around 8% of its goods exports to the Netherlands, primarily cocoa – making the Netherlands Ivory Coast’s second-largest customer, after Switzerland. In 2015, our country had been in first place. In 2022, the Netherlands imported significantly fewer petroleum products from Ivory Coast than in 2015. Ivory Coast did remain our most important supplier of cocoa in 2022.
| Exporteur | 2022 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 27.0 | 21.7 |
| Cameroon | 18.8 | 12.2 |
| Belgium | 13.9 | 11.9 |
| UK | 9.0 | 6.1 |
| Ivory Coast | 8.2 | 10.3 |
| Luxembourg | 7.6 | 5.2 |
| Germany | 6.8 | 5.7 |
| Finland | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Colombia | 6.1 | 4.9 |
| Nigeria | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| Denmark | 6.0 | 4.5 |
| 1)Only those trading partners with a Dutch export share ≥ 6% and total exports to the Netherlands worth ≥ US$1 billion in 2022. | ||
Nearly 6% of Hong Kong’s exports destined for the Netherlands
Table 3.6.3 lists only the trading partners that exported goods worth at least US$1bn to the Netherlands in 2022, but for which the Dutch share was less than 6%. This table is therefore supplementary to the trading partners shown in Figure 3.6.2. In 2022, the Netherlands received approximately 6% of Hong Kong’s goods exports, primarily advanced electronic products: mobile telephones, modems, routers; computers, laptops, tablets; microchips and semiconductor components. After China, Hong Kong was our second-largest supplier of microchips and semiconductor components in 2022. In 2022, the Dutch market share in Hong Kong’s exports was around 2.0 percentage points higher than in 2015. From Hong Kong’s perspective, China, India and then the Netherlands were the most important markets for its goods in 2022.
The Netherlands’ share in Norwegian goods exports shrank from 10% in 2015 to nearly 6% in 2022. Norwegian exports destined for the Netherlands consist primarily of mineral fuels.
The Netherlands less significant as a market for Russian goods in 2022 than before the war
In 2022, the Netherlands received approximately 4% of Russia’s goods exports, mainly mineral fuels. In 2021, before the outbreak of the war with Ukraine, the Dutch market share in Russia’s exports was nearly 5 percentage points higher than in 2022. In 2022, China and India were Russia’s biggest markets, with shares of 21% and 8%, respectively. In 2022, the Netherlands slipped back to sixth place as a Russian export partner, whereas our country had been second in 2021. The EU has imposed trade sanctions on Russia in response to the war against Ukraine. A little over a month after the start of the war and the first sanctions coming into effect, Dutch import value from Russia started to fall (Creemers et al., 2023).
| 2010 | 2015 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | Ranking of the Netherlands in 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | ||||||
| Hong Kong | 3.1 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 3 |
| Norway | 11.0 | 10.0 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 6 |
| Kazakhstan | 7.0 | 10.3 | 7.0 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 5 |
| Lithuania | 5.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Ireland | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Sweden | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Poland | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5 |
| France | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Libya | 3.2 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 10 |
| Estonia | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Portugal | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Algeria | 6.8 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Argentina | 3.4 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Spain | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 7 |
| India | 2.8 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Pakistan | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Russia | 13.9 | 11.3 | 9.9 | 8.1 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Hungary | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 10 |
| US | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 9 |
| Czechia | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Brazil | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Romania | 2.7 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Ukraine | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 9 |
| Bangladesh | 4.2 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 9 |
| Italy | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 9 |
| Turkey | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 9 |
| Peru | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 10 |
| Egypt | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 13 |
| Bulgaria | 1.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 9 |
| Israel | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 10 |
| Philippines | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 12 |
| China | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 10 |
| Vietnam | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Greece | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 14 |
| Malaysia | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 13 |
| Slovakia | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 13 |
| Chile | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 6 |
| Austria | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 14 |
| Singapore | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 16 |
| Thailand | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 16 |
| Switzerland | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 16 |
| Indonesia | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 12 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 14 |
| Taiwan | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 12 |
| Japan | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 16 |
| Australia | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 14 |
| South Korea | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 20 |
| Canada | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 9 |
| Mexico | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 21 |
Source:CEPII
1)Only trading partners with a share of less than 6% from the Netherlands and which exported goods with a value of 1 billion US dollars or more to the Netherlands in 2022.
The Netherlands is a relatively important market for goods from Kenya and Uruguay
Of the countries with an export flow to the Netherlands of less than $1bn, Kenya and Uruguay export a relatively large share of their exports to the Netherlands (see Figure 3.6.4). With a share of nearly 7%, the Netherlands is Kenya’s third most important export destination, behind only the US and Pakistan. Kenya supplies mainly flowers and plants to the Netherlands and was the second most important supplier of those goods to our country last year. Uruguay exported 5% of all its goods to the Netherlands in 2022, making the Netherlands Uruguay’s fifth-biggest export market. The main goods types Uruguay supplied to our country in 2022 were paper pulp, paper waste and beef.
| Handelspartner | 2022 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| Uruguay | 4.9 | 3.6 |
| Latvia | 4.2 | 3.3 |
| Venezuela | 4.1 | 0.4 |
| Sri Lanka | 3.1 | 2.1 |
| 1)Only those trading partners with a Dutch share > 3% and goods exports to the Netherlands worth < US$1 billion in 2022. | ||
3.7References
References
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De Boer (2024). Gasprijzen zakken verder weg, ‘de energiecrisis is voorbij’. [Gas prices continue to decline, the energy crisis is over]. Het Financieele Dagblad.
Bonam, D. (2024). Inflatie was hoger in eurolanden die meer importeren [Inflation was higher in euro countries that import more]. Economisch Statistische Berichten.
Statistics Netherlands (2021, 10 December). Veel doorvoer van goederen, opbrengsten relatief laag [High transit of goods, yields relatively low]. Statistics Netherlands.
CBS (2023a). Statistics for international trade in goods based on transfer of ownership and border crossing. Statistics Netherlands.
CBS (2023b, 27 October). Imports from China down in 2023, exports up. Statistics Netherlands.
CBS (2024a). Invoer en uitvoer volgens eigendomsoverdracht; volumeontwikkelingen. [Dataset]. Statistics Netherlands.
CBS (2024b). International trade in goods; border crossing, key figures. [Dataset]. Statistics Netherlands.
CBS (2024c, 2 May). Chinese goods imports down for first time in 7 years. Statistics Netherlands.
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CLO (2023). Energieverbruik door de industrie, 1990–2022 [Energy use by industries]. Environmental Data Compendium.
CPB (2024). Wereldhandel in 2023 afgenomen [World trade declined in 2023]. CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
Creemers, S., Jaarsma, M., & Rooyakkers, J. (2022). Vooral minder door- en wederuitvoer naar het VK sinds Brexit [Mainly fewer re-exports to the UK since Brexit]. Economisch Statistische Berichten.
Creemers, S., Jaarsma, M., & Rooyakkers, J. (2023). Important developments in 2022 and 2023. In S. Creemers & D. Herbers (Eds.), Dutch Trade in Facts and Figures 2023: exports, imports and investments. Statistics Netherlands.
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Noten
Based on the concept of border crossing, see CBS (2023a) for more information on the figures used.
We have used data from CEPII. Information about specific goods is not available in the CEPII-CHELEM data. In order to be able to interpret the findings based on the CEPII-CHELEM data, in sections 3.5 and 3.6, CBS figures at product level are used as a mirror image of international trade flows.
In contrast to re-exports, goods in quasi-transit trade do not come into the ownership of a firm or person based in the Netherlands. This is the category of exports from which the Netherlands earns the least (CBS, 2021). In 2023, quasi-transit trade amounted to €179.7bn. That was 5% less than in 2022, when the figure was €189.2bn. Quasi-transit trade is not considered further in this section.
Due to differences in international trade methods and concepts, these figures deviate from the existing trade deflators of CBS, including when we look at price developments at product level (CBS, 2024a). However, qualitatively and in terms of trend, we see the same price developments.
See also CBS (2024b) for trade per continent and for the countries in each continent.
In accordance with the SITC-3 classification.