The Netherlands trade surplus narrowed to EUR 4.13 billion in July 2019 from EUR 4.18 billion in the same month last year. Exports increased 4.6 percent year-on-year to EUR 42.26 billion driven by sales of machinery & equipment (6.5 percent); manufactured goods (2.0 percent); chemicals (5.9 percent); food (10.4 percent), while declines were seen in exports of fuels & lubricants (-12.8 percent). Shipments rose for both non-EU countries (5.6 percent ) and EU countries (4.1 percent). Meanwhile, imports went up at a faster 5.3 percent to EUR 38.13 billion, due to higher purchases of manufactured articles (5.7 percent); chemicals (9.6 percent); machinery & equipment (13.1 percent), and food (5.7 percent); while those of fuels & lubricants fell (-13.5 percent). Purchases increased from the EU (2.0 percent) and non-EU countries (9.1 percent). Balance of Trade in Netherlands averaged 1192.87 EUR Million from 1960 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 6491 EUR Million in March of 2017 and a record low of -907.60 EUR Million in May of 1993.
Balance of Trade in Netherlands is expected to be 4100.00 EUR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Balance of Trade in Netherlands to stand at 3500.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Netherlands Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 3950.00 EUR Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.