Export value agricultural products hits new record

Flowers and plants most exported agricultural products

Agricultural exports include agricultural products and food products. Flowers and plants (8.3 bn euros), meat (7.6 bn euros), dairy produce (7.2 bn euros) and vegetables (6.3 bn euros) are the most commonly exported agricultural products. Their relative positions remain unchanged if re-exports are not taken into account. Beverages, cattle fodder, (processed) cocoa, fruit and processed vegetables and fruits occupy positions 5-9 in the top ten of exported agricultural goods, but in all these cases re-exports outstrip exports of Dutch products compared to number ten on the list: processed corn, flour and milk. In this category baby milk powder is the most important and is almost entirely produced in the Netherlands. Processed corn, flour and milk take up fifth position on the list of exported agricultural products if re-exports are not taken into account.

Export agriculture-related products also considerable

Agriculture-related goods are goods manufactured for agricultural enterprises. The export value totals 8.6 bn euros. A considerable part (81 percent) of these goods are produced in the Netherlands. The main agriculture-related export products are fertilisers, agricultural machinery and machinery for the food industry.

After United States, but before Germany

Globally, the Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agricultural products as figures presented by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) show. With a total value of 182 bn dollars, the United States is by far the largest exporter, followed at a distance by the Netherlands with a total export value of 112 bn dollars) and Germany with 101 bn dollars). Provisional figures published by Eurostat and the ministries of agriculture of Brazil and the US show that the Netherlands also was the second largest exporter of agricultural products worldwide in 2015, but the gap between the Netherlands and the US has narrowed as US agricultural exports declined.