Exports up by over 2 percent in April

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Peter Hilz
In April 2024, the total volume of goods exported (adjusted for number of working days) was up by 2.3 percent year on year, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This is the first increase in exports in almost a year. Export volumes of chemical products, food, beverages and tobacco, and machinery were higher, in particular. The volume of goods imported was down by 5.3 percent relative to April 2023.

The CBS Exports Radar for June indicates that conditions for exports are less unfavourable than they were in April.

Year Month%-change (year-on-year %-change)
2020May-12.2
2020June-3.4
2020July0
2020August-3.6
2020September0.5
2020October3.1
2020November1.7
2020December-0.2
2021January3.8
2021February3.9
2021March12.7
2021April25.8
2021May22.4
2021June14.5
2021July11
2021August10.1
2021September6.9
2021October1.5
2021November8.9
2021December8.6
2022January1.2
2022February1
2022March-0.1
2022April-0.3
2022May2.3
2022June5.2
2022July0.5
2022August-0.3
2022September3.3
2022October8.4
2022November4.4
2022December4.3
2023January2.3
2023February4
2023March3
2023April0.2
2023May0.4
2023June-0.6
2023July-3.7
2023August-1.6
2023September-4.5
2023October-6.6
2023November-6.1
2023December-2
2024January-4.4
2024February-7.3
2024March-5.2
2024April2.3

Conditions for exports less unfavourable in June

Every month, CBS also publishes updates on the conditions for exports in the Exports Radar. These are largely determined by developments in the key sales markets for domestic exports and by the competitive position of the Netherlands. Although the Radar indicators show a strong correlation with export activity, improved conditions do not necessarily mean higher export growth.

According to the CBS Exports Radar for June, conditions for exports are less unfavourable than they were in April. This was mainly due to the fact that the year-on-year change in real exchange rates was less unfavourable and the year-on-year contraction of German industrial production was smaller.

Sources

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