Netherlands Europe's third exporting country

Recent figures by Eurostat show that last year, the Netherlands was the EU’s third exporting country after Germany and France. One of the reasons is the fact that the Netherlands plays an important part in the distribution of goods to other European countries. Dutch exports also grew substantially in 2007. If the current trend continues, the Netherlands will move up to second position in 2008.

More than all new EU member states together

With  968 billion euro, Germany was easily the EU’s largest exporter last year. In 2007, the Netherlands exported goods worth about 400 billion euro, more than the collective export values of the new EU member states which joined the EU in 2004 or 2007. Relative to other countries, the Netherlands exported large volumes of food products, gas oil and natural gas.

Value of exports, 2007

Growth of exports also relatively high

Dutch exports grew by nearly 9 percent compared to 2006. The increase was twice as high as the average in the EU 15. Exports by the new EU  member states, on the other hand, increased nearly twice as fast as Dutch exports. If the current trend continues, the Netherlands will outperform France in the course of 2008 to become the EU’s second exporting country.

Increase in exports value

Per capita exports high

In 2007, Dutch per capita exports amounted to nearly 25 thousand euro, three times as high as the average in the EU 15 and six times as high as the average in the new EU member states.

Many countries mainly export goods manufactured on the domestic market, whereas the Netherlands also exports a large volume of goods previously imported. China-made computers, for example, are imported and subsequently exported to other European countries. Nearly half of all goods exported by the Netherlands are re-exported.

Per capita exports, 2007

Oscar Lemmers