Exports of services account for 10 percent of GDP

The overall value of exported services was 122 bn euros in 2015, so for each euro worth of exported services, the value added was 55 euro cents. This is much lower than in 1995, when one euro worth of exported services contributed 67 euro cents to the economy. The value declined due to the growing share of re-exported services in total exports of services (e.g. payments made via the Netherlands for the exploitation of intellectual property). Without these capital flows, which tend to have little impact on economic activities in the Netherlands, exports of services accounted for about 70 cents per euro over the years.

Rapid growth exports of IT services

Exports of services cover a wide range of service activities: IT services, management consultancy and transport services, e.g. a Dutch transport company commissioned by a German company to carry goods from Rotterdam to Germany. Construction another example of a sector which exports multiple services. Worldwide, the Netherlands is a major player when it comes to dredging to keep waterways navigable.

With 6.9 bn euros, the sector holding companies and management consultancy agencies earned most from the export of services in 2015, followed by IT services (5.7 bn euros), wholesale and commission trade (5.1 bn euros) and storage and transport services (4.5 bn euros). This is excluding earnings from re-exports. In 1995 wholesale and commission trade topped the list, with road transport as runner-up. Compared to 1995, the only new entry in the top ten in 2015 was the sector temp agencies and employment services. In terms of earnings from export services, IT is the fastest growing sector in the top ten relative to 1995.

United States major export destination