Export growth 3 percent in March

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Ries van Wendel de Joode
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the total volume of goods exports grew by 3.0 percent in March relative to March 2017. Relative growth was lower than in the preceding months. In March 2018, exports of transport equipment, machinery and appliances increased most notably. The volume of imports was also 3.0 percent up on March 2017.

The CBS Exports Radar indicates that circumstances for exports in May are less favourable than in March.

Exports of goods (volume, adjusted for working days)
   % change
2014A3.9
2014M-0.9
2014J4.1
2014J3.6
2014A0.7
2014S6.3
2014O3.3
2014N3
2014D6
2015J7.7
2015F5.2
2015M4
2015A5.9
2015M6.2
2015J5.2
2015J5.9
2015A7.2
2015S4
2015O6.2
2015N4.9
2015D4.5
2016J4.7
2016F4
2016M5.9
2016A6
2016M7.1
2016J4.6
2016J3.5
2016A4.1
2016S5.6
2016O4.5
2016N5.4
2016D6.2
2017J3
2017F6.4
2017M8.1
2017A2.9
2017M3.1
2017J10.7
2017J7.5
2017A6.9
2017S7.5
2017O4.8
2017N9.1
2017D6.1
2018J4.5
2018F4
2018M3

Circumstances for Dutch exports in May less favourable than in March

Every month, CBS also publishes updates on the circumstances for exports in the Exports Radar. Conditions are strongly affected by recent developments on the main export markets for Dutch products and by the competitive position of the Netherlands. Although the Radar indicators show a strong correlation with export activity, improved circumstances are not necessarily translated into increased export growth.

According to the CBS Exports Radar, circumstances for Dutch exports in May are less favourable than in March. The year-on-year growth of German manufacturing output was smaller in particular in May’s Exports Radar. On the other hand, the development of the real effective exchange rate was somewhat more favourable than in March.

Goods exports account for approximately three-quarters of total exports. As for data on exports of services, these are not published monthly. Data on total exports are published quarterly and annually. The figures reported in this publication are provisional and may be adjusted.