More goods exported to China, imports from China down

In 2009, the Netherlands exported goods worth 4.6 billion euro to China, an increase by 20 percent relative to 2008. The value of imports from China dropped by more than 12 percent to approximately 22 billion euro.

Imports five times as high as exports

Goods trade between the Netherlands and China has grown considerably over the past decade. The value of imports from China grew remarkably between 2000 and 2007, but showed a downturn in the last two years. The current import-export ratio with China expressed in euro is 4.76 to 1 versus 7.30 to 1 in 2007.

Goods trade with China

Total exports down, exports to China up

Dutch exports dropped 16 percent last year relative to 2008. Although exports to all other important trading partners declined, partly as a result of the global recession, exports to China grew by 20 percent. Raw materials (paper pulp and waste, scrap, rest products of non-ferrous metals), chemical products and machinery equipment are the main export products to China. These three goods categories account for 80 percent of exports.

Exports to China, 2009

Imports from China, 2009

Trade deficit reduced, but still considerable

With imports declining and exports growing, the trade deficit with China was reduced by nearly 4 billion euro to more than 17 billion euro in 2009 compared to 2008. The deficit remains invariably large and is almost in the same order of magnitude as the sum of the deficits with the United States (US), Japan and Russia.

Nearly 8 percent of imports and 1.5 percent of exports

With a share of nearly 8 percent in total Dutch imports, China occupies fourth place on the list of most important import countries in 2009 after Germany, Belgium and the US. China holds eleventh place on the list of most important export countries. China’s market share in total Dutch exports is 1.5 percent.

Wiel Packbier