Half of all imported goods from low-income countries are clothes

© Hollandse Hoogte / Patricia Rehe
In 2020, the Netherlands imported 2.9 billion euros worth of goods from the 46 least developed countries (LDCs). This is 4 percent less than in 2019. Half of the imports consist of clothing, mainly from Bangladesh. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the basis of provisional figures on international goods trade.

The United Nations compiles a list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) which is reviewed every three years. The criteria are gross domestic product (GDP), economic vulnerability and several indicators on education and health. 13.6 percent of the entire world population live in one of these 46 countries, most of them located in Africa (33 countries, 700 million inhabitants) and Asia (9 countries, 340 million inhabitants); another 15 million live in low-income countries in Oceania (3) and America (1).

Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 2020Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 2020 Source: United NationsLeast Developed Countries (LDCs), 2020!(Source: United Nations

Imports down in 2020

In 2020, Dutch imports from the LDCs were worth 2.9 billion euros, representing a decline of 4 percent on 2019. This amount comprised 1.9 billion in goods from Asia (65 percent) and 1.0 billion from Africa (34 percent). Asia predominantly supplies clothing while Africa supplies raw materials. Last year, the share held by LDCs in total Dutch goods imports was 0.7 percent. This is roughly equivalent to imports from Austria, our 30th largest import partner.

Bangladesh largest LDC trade partner

Among all low-income countries, Bangladesh is by far the largest goods supplier with an import value of 1,281 million euros in 2020 (of which 1,075 million euros was clothing). This is 47 percent more than in 2015. Relative to 2019, imports fell by 154 million euros last year (11 percent). This can be explained by diminishing demand for new clothing during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Over the past five years, imports from Cambodia have more than doubled; last year, however, these imports showed a year-on-year decline of 13 percent. Cambodia mainly supplies clothing, footwear and bags. In 2020, Dutch imports from Angola mainly consisted of crude oil.

Clothing is the top import product

Of all goods imported by the Netherlands from the LDCs, clothing is by far the most important category. In 2020, Dutch import flows of clothing from the LDCs were worth 1,453 million euros. Almost three-quarters of that amount came directly from Bangladesh. The remainder of clothing imports is mostly sourced from Cambodia and Myanmar. In 2020, footwear imports – almost exclusively from Bangladesh and Cambodia – were worth virtually the same amount as in the previous year, i.e. 180 million euros. Crude oil imports are almost entirely sourced from Angola. With a share of almost three-quarters, Ethiopia is by far the largest supplier of cut flowers. Aluminium imports are almost exclusively sourced from Mozambique.

More information, including more on the interconnectedness between the Netherlands and the Least Developed Countries in Africa, can be found in the (English) Executive Summary of the Internationalisation Monitor on Africa.

Sources

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