Exports virtually the same in October

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Peter Hilz
In October 2021, the total volume of goods exports was up by 0.1 percent year-on-year, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The increase was seen in exports of metal products, for example. However, exports of petroleum products and transport equipment were lower than in October 2020. Relative to October 2019, exports were almost 3 percent higher. The volume of imports in October was up by 5.4 percent year-on-year and by almost 5 percent relative to October 2019.

The CBS Exports Radar indicates that circumstances for exports are less favourable in December than they were in October.

Exports of goods (volume, adjusted for working days)
Year Month%-change (year-on-year %-change)
2017November7.1
2017December6.2
2018January4.8
2018February4.3
2018March3.1
2018April6.2
2018May5.3
2018June0.4
2018July2.7
2018August4
2018September3
2018October3.4
2018November0.4
2018December0.6
2019January2.2
2019February-0.3
2019March1.5
2019April1.7
2019May-0.1
2019June0.7
2019July-0.1
2019August3.4
2019September1.4
2019October6.3
2019November2.3
2019December4.5
2020January3.2
2020February1
2020March-4.7
2020April-12.7
2020May-11.6
2020June-2.9
2020July0
2020August-3.4
2020September0.8
2020October2.7
2020November1.3
2020December-0.8
2021January2.2
2021February3
2021March11.2
2021April23.8
2021May20.3
2021June13.3
2021July10
2021August9.1
2021September5.1
2021October0.1

Conditions for exports less favourable in December

Every month, CBS also publishes updates on the circumstances for exports in the Exports Radar. Conditions are largely determined by developments on the main export markets for Dutch domestic products and in 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 exports in December are less favourable than in October. This is mainly because the year-on-year contraction in German manufacturing output was larger and German producer confidence was less positive in December’s radar.

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. Figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revision.

Sources

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