Exporters in the Netherlands also earn considerable cash from global sales of crude oil and cars.
The following list shows which Dutch exports attracted the most sales during 2017. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify precisely which products in which the Netherlands has strong competitive advantages over other nations, and potential opportunities for innovation.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the Searchable List of Most Valuable Dutch Export Products section in the Netherlands’ Top 10 Exports article. For a link to that article, see the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Dutch Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from the Netherlands in 2017. Shown within brackets for each item is the percentage year-over-year increase.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$44 billion (up 16.8% since 2016)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $42.5 billion (up 180.4%)
- Computers, optical readers: $25.9 billion (up 172.5%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $17.6 billion (up 29.8%)
- Printing machinery: $11 billion (up 28.5%)
- Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays): $10.6 billion (up 21.9%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $9.9 billion (up 429.8%)
- Crude oil: $9.3 billion (up 11,657%)
- Cars: $9.3 billion (up 135.2%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $9.2 billion (up 48.1%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $8.5 billion (up 99.8%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $8.2 billion (up 16.4%)
- Orthopedic appliances: $7.8 billion (up 20.7%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $6.9 billion (up 126.9%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $5.6 billion (up 229.1%)
- Tractors: $5.6 billion (up 7%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $5.6 billion (up 78.2%)
- Turbo-jets: $4.7 billion (up 85.6%)
- Polyacetal/ether/carbonates: $4.5 billion (up 20.4%)
- Fresh or dried flowers (for bouquets, ornamental): $4.4 billion (up 4.6%)
Among these product categories, Dutch crude oil posted the greatest increase in export sales with a 5,255% gain from 2009 to 2016.
In second place were exported blood fractions including antisera which appreciated 1,352% over the same 7-year period.
Raw aluminum from the Netherlands improved in value by 268%.
The average gain for all Dutch exports from 2016 to 2017 was 46.6%.
Two categories declined in value, printing machinery (down -27.8%) and fresh or dried flowers (down -2.4%).
See also Netherlands Top 10 Imports, Netherlands Top 10 Major Export Companies, Netherlands Top Trading Partners and Netherlands Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 23, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 23, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on March 23, 2018
World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Amsterdam, Netherlands. Accessed on March 23, 2018