Dutch Trade Surplus Smallest in 8 Months

2026-06-15 04:50 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

The Netherlands’ trade surplus narrowed to almost EUR 8.0 billion in April 2026 from EUR 8.6 billion in the same month a year earlier.

This marks the smallest trade surplus since August last year, as imports rose faster than exports.

Imports advanced 7.6% year-on-year to EUR 59.8 billion, reflecting higher purchases from both EU (5.7% vs 5.6% in March) and non-EU (9.3% vs 4.4%) countries.

Among commodities, inbound shipments rose the most for mineral fuels and lubricants (+40.3%), chemical products (+7.9%), and beverages and tobacco (+4.4%).

Meanwhile, exports rose 5.6% to EUR 67.7 billion, as sales grew from both EU (7.0% vs 7.9%) and non-EU (3.3% vs -6.5%) markets.

Exports increased primarily for mineral fuels and lubricants (+31.5%), animal and vegetable oils (+16%), and beverages and tobacco (+4.7%).

In the first three months of the year, the Dutch trade surplus stood at EUR 37.7 million, as exports fell 0.6% while imports rose 0.3%.



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Dutch Trade Surplus Smallest in 8 Months
The Netherlands’ trade surplus narrowed to almost EUR 8.0 billion in April 2026 from EUR 8.6 billion in the same month a year earlier. This marks the smallest trade surplus since August last year, as imports rose faster than exports. Imports advanced 7.6% year-on-year to EUR 59.8 billion, reflecting higher purchases from both EU (5.7% vs 5.6% in March) and non-EU (9.3% vs 4.4%) countries. Among commodities, inbound shipments rose the most for mineral fuels and lubricants (+40.3%), chemical products (+7.9%), and beverages and tobacco (+4.4%). Meanwhile, exports rose 5.6% to EUR 67.7 billion, as sales grew from both EU (7.0% vs 7.9%) and non-EU (3.3% vs -6.5%) markets. Exports increased primarily for mineral fuels and lubricants (+31.5%), animal and vegetable oils (+16%), and beverages and tobacco (+4.7%). In the first three months of the year, the Dutch trade surplus stood at EUR 37.7 million, as exports fell 0.6% while imports rose 0.3%.
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Dutch Trade Surplus Widens in February
The Netherlands’ trade surplus widened to EUR 9.90 billion in February 2026 from EUR 9.45 billion a year earlier, as exports declined at a slower pace than imports. Exports fell 4.0% year-on-year to EUR 61.44 billion, reflecting lower sales to non-EU countries (-12.1%), while exports to EU countries rose 1.4%. Among commodities, outbound shipments declined most for mineral fuels and lubricants (-11.1%), beverages and tobacco (-8%), food and live animals (-5.6%), and raw materials (-3.8%). Meanwhile, imports dropped at a faster pace of 5.5% to EUR 51.54 billion, as purchases fell from both EU (-1.3%) and non-EU (-9.3%) markets. Arrivals were sharply lower for mineral fuels and lubricants (-22.4%) and, to a lesser extent, for miscellaneous manufactured goods (-5.9%). In the first two months of the year, the Dutch trade surplus stood at EUR 19.45 billion, as exports declined 4.8% while imports fell 5.8%.
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Dutch Trade Surplus at 5-Month Low
The Netherlands' trade surplus narrowed to EUR 8.06 billion in January 2026 from EUR 11.05 billion in the same month a year earlier. This marked the smallest trade surplus since August 2025, as exports fell 5.1% year-on-year to EUR 61.44 billion, reflecting weaker shipments to both EU (-3.5%) and non-EU (-7.5%) markets. The largest declines were recorded in machinery and transport equipment (-1.4%), chemical products (-5.6%), and mineral fuels, lubricants and related products (-9.3%). Meanwhile, imports decreased 3.5% year-on-year to EUR 53.38 billion, as arrivals from both EU (-4.6%) and non-EU (-0.8%) markets dropped. The sharpest declines were seen in chemical products (-10.2%), mineral fuels, lubricants and related products (-13.1%), and food and live animals (-3.3%).
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