Inbound trade from the US has doubled since 2007

© CBS / Nikki van Toorn
In 2021, 42 billion kilograms of goods from the United States were brought to the Netherlands, twice as much as in 2007. The value increased by more than 50 percent. Goods from the US are mainly bulk commodities, e.g. crude oil, refined petroleum products, and coal and lignite. The increase was just the other way around for the country group China, Taiwan and Mongolia, with inbound goods doubling in value and the weight increasing by over 50 percent. Inbound trade from this region is more often composed of machinery and electronics, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in a new publication on international goods flows in 2021.

In 2021, the landed weight of goods from the US stood at 42 billion kg, with a value of 50 billion euros. The landed weight from China, Taiwan and Mongolia was 29 billion kg, at a value of 164 billion euros.

Development of inbound transport from the United States and from China, Taiwan and Mongolia
 Value, US (2007=100)Gross weight, US (2007=100)Value, China, Taiwan, Mongolia (2007=100)Gross weight, China, Taiwan, Mongolia (2007=100)
2007100.0100.0100.0100.0
2008133.3128.0108.897.9
2009101.8105.5105.473.8
2010113.0124.697.685.0
2011133.9143.8126.096.7
2012120.5152.0112.983.9
2013116.5150.297.582.6
2014118.9144.1114.495.7
2015112.9147.0157.097.2
2016112.1142.1149.199.6
2017123.7142.8168.9111.6
2018145.6177.3147.0107.6
2019150.2194.2149.1123.6
2020147.8189.1170.1126.8
2021156.1202.6201.5151.7

Goods flow from China highest value; from Russia highest weight

In 2021, altogether 631 billion kg of goods entered the Netherlands. This represented a 6-percent increase on 2020 and was close to the 2019 pre-pandemic level again. The goods held a combined value of 940 billion euros, up by 17 percent on 2020. The bulk of the goods was bound for re-export; around 61 percent of the goods (in gross weight) left the Netherlands again in an unprocessed or virtually unprocessed state.

Measured in weight, Russia was the largest supplier of goods in 2021, holding a 14-percent share. Germany was second largest with 11 percent, followed by Belgium and Luxembourg, and the United States. Top supplier in terms of value in 2021 was the country group China, Taiwan and Mongolia with a share of 17 percent. The runner up was again Germany (13 percent), followed by a group of EU countries in Eastern Europe (8 percent).

Russia and the US represent less significant value compared to the weight of their goods. Conversely, the country group China, Taiwan and Mongolia has a smaller share in landed weight but represents a larger share in terms of value.

Country shares in inbound transport, 2021
 Gross weight (%)Value (%)
Russia14.14.7
Germany11.213.0
Belgium and Luxembourg7.46.1
United States6.75.4
Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands5.73.2
China, Taiwan and Mongolia4.517.4
Brazil4.32.0
Northern Europe (EU)3.73.1
United Kingdom3.53.3
Eastern Europe (EU)3.47.6
Southern Europe (EU)3.15.2
Canada and Greenland2.81.2
Southeast Asia2.74.9
Southern Africa2.71.2
Oceania2.40.9
Southwest Asia2.41.6
France2.32.5
Western Africa2.21.0
Northern Africa1.50.8
Southeastern South America1.40.8
Other country groups12.214.1

Fossil fuels account for over two-thirds of inbound trade from the US

Crude oil, refined petroleum products and coal and lignite combined took up nearly 70 percent of the total goods supply from the US in 2021. Roughly 11 percent were chemical products and fertilisers. Leading in terms of value were transport equipment (22 percent), machinery and electronics (20 percent) as well as crude petroleum en refined petroleum products (together slightly over 20 percent).
Of the goods arriving from China, Taiwan and Mongolia in 2021, machinery and electronics took up 21 percent; 13 percent were chemical products and fertilisers and 12 percent basic metals and metal products. At over 60 percent, machinery and electronics accounted for the highest value, followed by transport equipment (7 percent) and textiles, leather and products thereof (7 percent).

Crude petroleum 29.3 Machinery and electronics 21.1 Basic metals and metal products 12.4 6.7 Other non-metallic mineral products 5.2 4.1 3.7 3.1 3.2 2.6 4.7 Salt, sand, gravel and clay 4.4 Food products,beverages and tobacco 5.8 Other commodity groups 10.0 Chemical products and fertilizers 13.0 Refined petroleum products 20.8 Coal and lignite 18.7 Chemical products and fertilizers 10.6 Other commodity groups 8.1 Agricultural,forestry and fishery products 4.5 Waste and secondary raw materials 3.3 Transport equipment 2.5 2.1 Plastic and rubber products Other non-metallic mineral products Salt, sand, gravel and clay Transport equipment Wood, pulp, paper and products thereof Other commodity groups Waste and secondary raw materials Machinery and electronics Basic metals and metal products Food products, beverages and tobacco Refined petroleum products Textiles, leather and products thereof Agricultural, forestry and fishery products Pharmaceuticals and parachemicals Crude petroleum Coal and lignite Chemical products and fertilizers United States, % of gross weight Inbound goods flows from the US and China, Taiwan and Mongolia, 2021 China, Taiwan and Mongolia, % of gross weight