France third largest market for international road transport

Dutch hauliers carried nearly 6 million tons of goods from the Netherlands to France in 2010, making France the third largest market for international road transport after Germany and Belgium. Altogether, 80 percent of goods carried from the Netherlands to other countries went to Belgium and Germany, 12 percent had France as its final destination.

International road transport by country of destination, 2010

Most goods carried to the north of France

Goods transported from the Netherlands are mainly carried over shorter distances. More than half the total weight of goods carried by road is loaded or unloaded in regions in Belgium and Germany close to the Dutch border.

The same applies to all goods carried to France: nearly half were destined for regions in the north of France. Most goods (43 percent) were destined for Ile de France, Nord-Pas de Calais and Picardie, but the Rhône-Alpes region in the south-east of France is also an important destination.

Share French regions in total weight of goods transported from the Netherlands to France, 2010

Mainly agricultural products and food

More than one third of goods carried to France by road in 2010 were agricultural products, food products and livestock. These products were mainly carried to the large markets in Ile de France. Chemical products made up 17 percent of goods transported to France by Dutch hauliers. The manufacturing industries in Rhône-Alpes – France’s second largest economic region – were an important destination for chemical products.

Share types of goods in total weight of goods transported from the Netherlands to France, 2010

More goods carried to France
Road transport to France has grown in the past decade. Between 2000 and 2010, the total weight of goods transported from the Netherlands grew by 5 percent.
The flow of goods in the opposite direction diminished from 3.7 million tons in 2000 to 3.5 million tons in 2010.

Mathijs Jacobs and Paul Ras