After falling turnover figures in nine consecutive quarters, manufacturing turnover rose by 1.1 percent in Q4 2016 year-on-year. The sharpest rise was recorded in the furniture industry: 8.2 percent. Turnover growth in the industries producing petroleum derivatives, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and rubber and plastic products contributed to the upward trend in the industry as a whole. Despite the increase in Q4, manufacturing turnover decreased by 2.9 percent in 2016.

Output prices in industry were 2.5 percent up in Q4 2016 year-on-year. The OPEC agreement was responsible for price increases in the petroleum industry. Furthermore, prices went up in the industries producing (basic) metals, food and chemical products as well as in the automotive industry. The sharpest price drop was seen in the electrotechnical and machinery industries: 2.9 percent. On an annual basis, however, prices dropped by 3.6 percent.

The number of pronounced bankruptcies in manufacturing has fallen considerably since 2013. In that year, 839 businesses went bankrupt versus only 365 in 2016, representing a decrease of 56.5 percent.

Out of every one euro earned by the Dutch manufacturing industry, 70 euro cents are generated by exports. In 2015, manufacturing added over 71 billion euros in value, of which nearly 50 billion euros were on account of exports. The chemical industry is 92 percent dependent on foreign markets. By contrast, the furniture industry is much more focused on domestic demand.