Holland and Brabant most important for trade with UK
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Within the Netherlands, the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant are most important for trade with the UK, accounting for two-thirds of both imports and exports. The share of these three provinces in so-called re-exports is bigger than in exports of products manufactured in the Netherlands. This is mainly caused by large amounts of products re-exported from Noord-Holland, e.g. medicines. Mineral fuels, unloaded in the port of Rotterdam are one of the main import products from the UK.
These three provinces also occupy a dominant position in total Dutch goods trade, albeit to a lesser extent than in trade with the UK.
Most Dutch provinces export food and drinks
Dutch products frequently exported to the UK include petroleum derivatives, flowers and plants, vegetables, meat and natural gas. Seven of the twelve Dutch provinces mostly export food products and drinks made in the Netherlands to the UK. In fact, food products and drinks account for more than half of exports from the province of Friesland to the UK. The main export products of the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Flevoland are machinery and transport equipment. In Flevoland, these goods account for half of exports. The provinces of Limburg and Overijssel mainly export manufactured products; exports from the province of Groningen to the UK largely consist of raw materials and mineral fuels (in particular natural gas).
Raw materials and mineral fuels | Machinery and transport equipment | Chemical products | Manufactured products | Food and drinks | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Friesland | 0.5 | 21.6 | 7.9 | 16.9 | 53.1 |
Gelderland | 3.9 | 15.1 | 7.1 | 26 | 47.8 |
Zeeland | 1.2 | 5.6 | 38.2 | 13 | 42 |
Utrecht | 0.7 | 26.7 | 7.9 | 22.8 | 41.9 |
Drenthe | 7.2 | 6.3 | 23.5 | 25.3 | 37.7 |
Zuid-Holland | 28.9 | 10.4 | 19 | 7.3 | 34.5 |
Noord-Brabant | 4.5 | 31.2 | 18.1 | 16.4 | 29.7 |
Flevoland | 0.8 | 50.1 | 14 | 7.7 | 27.3 |
Noord-Holland | 10.4 | 23.1 | 14 | 25.3 | 27.2 |
Overijssel | 18.1 | 14.1 | 25.1 | 26.1 | 16.7 |
Limburg | 3.2 | 9.4 | 29.9 | 41.1 | 16.4 |
Groningen | 60.7 | 1.1 | 10.3 | 14.9 | 12.9 |
Share exports to UK smaller than in pre-crisis era
The share of the United Kingdom in total exports of Dutch products diminished from 8.9 percent to 7.8 percent in the space of seven years. One of the reasons for the relative decline is the growth in exports to non-European countries, like China. In Groningen and Overijssel in particular, the share of Dutch products destined for the UK has declined significantly. In the provinces of Utrecht, Drenthe and Noord-Holland, the share of exports to the UK has risen, but with respect to the amounts of money involved, differences are small.
CBS reported earlier that the total earnings of Dutch exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom amounted to 20 billion euros 2015, i.e. 3 percent of GDP.
2008 | 2015 | |
---|---|---|
Netherlands | 8.9 | 7.8 |
Groningen | 12.9 | 8.9 |
Flevoland | 10.6 | 9.1 |
Overijssel | 10.5 | 6.6 |
Utrecht | 9.9 | 10.7 |
Zeeland | 9.9 | 8.7 |
Zuid-Holland | 9 | 7.8 |
Gelderland | 8.8 | 7.8 |
Limburg | 8.5 | 8 |
Friesland | 8.3 | 6.6 |
Noord-Brabant | 7.7 | 7.3 |
Drenthe | 7.1 | 8.6 |
Noord-Holland | 6.8 | 7 |