• Analysis and Studies
• The Netherlands: a look at the market

The Netherlands is located in Western Europe and borders the North Sea between Belgium and Germany. In the past (17th century), it used to be one of the leading seafaring and commercial powers, with settlements and colonies around the world. It is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a head of government - the prime minister - and a head of state - the monarch.

Now it is a modern and industrialized nation, and an important productive, financial, and economic center. The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO and of the EU, and in 1999 it was one of the first countries to adopt the euro as its currency. 

The economy of the Netherlands: trade, import and export 

The Netherlands is the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, a key transportation hub for the continent frequently posts big trade surpluses, and has a low unemployment rate. The country is the 17th largest in the world in 2021 for GDP, worth around 1 trillion dollars. According to the Social Progress Index 2022 (published every year by the Social Progress Imperative, a non-profit organization that ranks countries according to social aspects such as access to basic human needs, general well-being, and opportunities), the Netherlands is the 7th country in the world for living standards.

Public administration, defense, human health, and social work activities were the most significant sectors of the Dutch economy in 2020, followed by wholesale and retail trade, transportation, lodging, and food services (20.4%), professional, scientific, and technical activities (14.7%), and administrative and support service activities (21.7%).

66% of the Netherlands' exports are for intra-EU commerce (Germany 23%, Belgium 10%, and France 9%), 8% are for extra-EU trade, and 4% are for extra-EU trade with the United States and the United Kingdom. In terms of imports, Germany accounts for 15% of the total and Belgium for 8%. Outside of the EU, China and the United States account for 17% and 8% of the total respectively.

The top exports of the Netherlands are Refined Petroleum ($29.7 billion), Broadcasting Equipment ($19.3 billion), Packaged Medicaments ($18.8 billion), Computers ($13.7 billion), and Photo Lab Equipment ($11.7 billion). Crude Petroleum ($32.1B), Refined Petroleum ($23.8B), Broadcasting Equipment ($21.9B), Computers ($14.7B), and Packaged Medicaments ($13.5 billion) were the top imports. 

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