Netherland’s trade surplus narrowed to EUR 3.6 billion in December 2018 from EUR 3.7 billion in the same month a year earlier. Imports increased 2.1 percent year-on-year to EUR 35.1 billion mainly driven by purchases of food & live animals (3.4 percent); mineral fuels, lubricants & related (3.1 percent); manufactured goods (5.1 percent); machinery & transport equipment (1.7 percent) and miscellaneous manufactured articles (5.8 percent). Purchases from the EU decreased 1.4 percent and those from outside the EU advanced 6.5 percent. Exports rose 1.6 percent to EUR 38.7 billion, mostly due to higher sales of chemicals & related products (3 percent); manufactured goods (2.6 percent); machinery & transport equipment (4.3 percent) and miscellaneous manufactured articles (7.6 percent). Exports to the EU fell 0.1 percent while those to outside the EU went up 5.5 percent. Considering full 2018, the country’s trade surplus fell to EUR 53.2 billion from EUR 58.6 billion in 2017. Balance of Trade in Netherlands averaged 1162.85 EUR Million from 1960 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 7096 EUR Million in November of 2018 and a record low of -907.60 EUR Million in May of 1993.
Balance of Trade in Netherlands is expected to be 6700.00 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 4780.00 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.