Internationalisation monitor 2012 - CBS

Visualisation 1.4.4 shows how Dutch export products to different countries also shifted
in terms of technology level between 1997 and 2011. Although exports to many countries
were already dominated by high-tech products in 1997, more countries had shifted towards
higher tech products in 2011, including important trading partners like Russia, France, Italy
and Southern America. However, only countries like Finland and some African countries
show an opposite development, receiving less technologically advanced products.
1.5 A closer look at re-exports
As mentioned earlier, the Netherlands has always been a gateway to the rest of Europe
due to its location. Therefore, many goods enter the Netherlands to be distributed to other
countries. Re-exporting goods is an important activity for the Netherlands, comprising
almost 44 percent of total Dutch exports in 2011. However, it does not add as much to
the Dutch economy as products produced in the Netherlands. A study by Kuypers, Lejour,
Lemmers and Ramaekers (2012) showed that every euro re-export only adds 7.5 cents to
the Dutch economy. This is 59 cents for every euro in the export of Dutch-manufactured
products. Table 1.5.1 shows that the share of re-exports was highest for machinery and
transport equipment and for miscellaneous manufactured articles. There has been a
remarkable increase in the share of re-exports in mineral fuels, lubricants, related materials
chemicals and related products, which rose from 19 percent in 2008 to 32 percent in the
first quarter of 2012.
1.5.1 Re-exports of commodities, by SITC classification
Re-export value Re-exports as a share of exports
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Q1* 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Q1*
billion euro %
Total 157.9 139.9 171.6 178.3 47.3 43 45 46 44 44
Food and live animals 10.5 10.1 11.5 12.4 3.2 25 25 25 26 26
Beverages and tobacco 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.1 0.3 14 12 11 15 16
Crude materials, inedible ex. fuels 5.7 4.1 6.6 6.7 1.9 32 27 34 32 32
Mineral fuels, lubricants, related materials 10.7 9.2 13.4 20.6 6.8 19 24 26 30 32
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.3 26 20 20 21 28
Chemicals and related products 26.7 26.3 29.7 26.6 6.9 41 44 42 36 36
Manufactured goods classified by materials 13.4 9.9 13.7 15.3 3.9 38 37 41 42 42
Machinery and transport equipment 66.5 57.4 69.7 67.7 16.9 62 65 66 61 62
Miscellaneous manufactured articles 22.4 21.1 24.5 25.6 6.8 68 69 71 69 70
Commodities not classified elsewhere 0.2 0.4 1.2 1.4 0.4 9 20 55 50 48
Source: CBS, Statline, International trade in goods (extracted: 2-9-2012).
36 Statistics Netherlands