9 billion euro worth of goods imported from Japan

The total value of goods imported from Japan last year was 9 billion euro, a 27 percent increase from 2009. Imports of machinery and transport equipment grew significantly. Dutch exports to Japan increased by 30 percent in 2010 to 3 billion euro. Here, too, machinery and transport equipment were the main contributors to the increase.

Trade deficit considerable

The balance of goods trade between the Netherlands and Japan has shown a deficit since it was first monitored in 1920. The deficit at the time was 12 million euro. In 2010, the deficit had run up to over 6 billion euro.

Trade with Japan

Japan not the largest import country in Asia for the Netherlands

The Netherlands imported more than 74 billion euro worth of goods from Asia last year, i.e. 22 percent of total imports. Approximately 12 percent of products imported from Asia were Japanese and 42 percent were Chinese. The value of Japanese products imported into the Netherlands was 9.2 billion euro. The Netherlands is serving as a distributor of Japanese products throughout Europe.

Dutch exports relatively small

The value of Dutch exports to Japan was 3 billion euro, making Japan the third largest export country in Asia after China and South Korea. The value of exports to many European countries is higher. The value of Dutch exports to Germany, for example, was 29 times the value of Dutch exports to Japan.

Fewer but more expensive cars imported

Imports of machinery and transport equipment have grown by 27 percent to 6.5 billion euro in 2010 or more than 70 percent of the total value of imports from Japan. More than 14 thousand new Japanese cars were imported, a reduction of 3 thousand relative to 2009, but the average import value was 3,500 euro higher than in 2009. Only 2 percent of all cars imported into the Netherlands directly come from Japan.

Top 10 import products, 2010

Machinery exports soar by 66 percent

The value of Dutch machinery exports to Japan amounted to one billion euro, an increase by 66 percent more on 2009 and one third of total exports to Japan. Specialised machinery with an export value of 0.4 billion euro largely accounted for the increase. Tobacco products are also an important export product; 8 percent of all cigarettes manufactured in the Netherlands are exported to Japan. Japan is only preceded by France, Italy and Spain.

Most important export countries tobacco manufacturers, 2010

Wiel Packbier