What do we import from China?

We import relatively many high-tech products from China, such as computers, laptops and mobile phones. The value of goods imported from China amounted to 43.0 billion euros in 2019. In terms of value, China, with a share of over 9 percent, is our third most-important trading partner for the import of goods, after Germany and Belgium.

The share of technological products in goods imported from China was about 42 percent in 2019. This share is much lower (18 percent) from the perspective of total goods imported into the Netherlands. Computers, laptops and tablets accounted for 12.5 percent of the total import value from China at 5.4 billion euros. Relative to 2015, imports of these goods have increased by 20 percent. Modems and routers accounted for about 10 percent of imports from China, a doubling compared to 2015. The top five major import products also include monitors and projection devices (1.5 billion euros in 2019), and mobile phones (1.3 billion euros).

As for non-technological imports from China, clothing is the most important product with an import value of 2.6 billion euros. This puts clothing in third place: almost 20 percent of all clothing imported by the Netherlands comes directly from China.

Show tableTop 5 imported products from China, 2019 (bn euros)Hide tableTop 5 imported products from China, 2019 (bn euros)

Top 5 imported products from China, 2019 (bn euros)

Product	Import value
Computers, laptops, tablets	5.386
Modems, routers	4.508
Clothing	2.601
Monitors, projectors	1.468
Mobile phones	1.281

Imports from China up significantly

Over the last three decades, imports from China have grown much faster than the total import of goods into this country: in 1989, 0.5 percent of imported goods came from China; thirty years later, the figure was 9.3 percent. In this respect, the Netherlands is a gateway to European markets: of the 43 billion euros worth of goods the Netherlands imported from China in 2019, about two-thirds were destined for re-exports (to other countries). These goods leave this country in an (almost) unprocessed state, but have been temporarily owned by companies or persons in the Netherlands.

In addition, 36 billion euros worth of Chinese products are exported without having been owned by a company or person based in the Netherlands. If this transit trade is taken into account, imports from China amount to 79 billion euros.

Imports from China higher in first half of 2020

Despite the coronavirus crisis, imports of goods from China were higher in the first six months of 2020 than in the same period in 2019. While the total import value in the first six months of 2020 was 9.2 percent lower than one year previously, the import of goods from China rose by 3.5 percent. As a result, China’s share of goods imported into the Netherlands rose to 10 percent.

Show tableImport value of goods, first six months of 2020* (year-on-year % change)Hide tableImport value of goods, first six months of 2020* (year-on-year % change)

Import value of goods, first six months of 2020* (year-on-year % change)

	Import value
Total	-9.2
China	3.5
* provisional figures

The questions

1. How does CBS calculate the figures?
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28. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
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31. What do we import from China?
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