For the first time since 2016, the Netherlands imports less from China. In 2023, we imported 104 billion euros worth of Chinese goods, which is almost 21 billion euros less than a year earlier.
In particular, fewer Chinese computers, laptops and tablets were imported. These products now come more often from Taiwan, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands.
While imports fell, exports of Dutch products to China increased by 20 percent in 2023. Despite this shift, the trade balance, the difference between the value of exports and imports, is still almost 82 billion euros negative, but less negative by almost 25 billion euros than in 2022.
More tech products from Taiwan, but more cars
China
In 2023, fewer tech products will be imported from China, such as computers, telephones, modems, chips, semiconductor elements, solar panels and televisions. In 2023, more than 43 percent of imported computers, laptops and tablets came from China, compared to almost 57 percent a year earlier.
These products are now mainly imported from Taiwan; the import value of these Taiwanese goods was three times higher in 2023 than a year earlier. While the import value was still 2.2 billion euros in 2022, a year later it was 6.7 billion euros. Taiwan’s share thus grows from 5.5 to 18.4 percent.
The biggest increase in goods imported from China were passenger cars. The import value of this grew from 108 million euros in 2022 to 1.1 billion euros in 2023.
