The trade surplus in the Netherlands fell to EUR 4.95 billion in September of 2018 from EUR 5.79 billion in the same month of the previous year. Exports rose 2 percent from a year earlier to EUR 41.3 billion, mainly due to sales of fuels & lubricants (18.1 percent); chemicals (17.5 percent) and machinery & transport equipment (1.3 percent). Exports to the EU increased 4.9 percent while those to countries outside the EU went up 5.2 percent. Imports advanced at a faster 8.4 percent to EUR 3.64 billion, boosted by purchases of fuels & lubricants (42.8 percent); machinery & transport equipment (0.7 percent); manufactured goods (3.1 percent) and chemicals (8.6 percent). Imports from the EU rose 6.2 percent and those from countries outside the EU climbed 11 percent. Balance of Trade in Netherlands averaged 1146.60 EUR Million from 1960 until 2018, 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 4520.00 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 4104.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Netherlands Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 5050.00 EUR Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.