Dutch IT Channel – Fewer computers, laptops and tablets from China to the Netherlands

The Netherlands imported 104.3 billion euros worth of goods from China in 2023. That is 20.8 billion euros less than a year earlier. Both trade and transit have declined. This development is in line with the overall contraction of Chinese exports.

While imports fell, exports of Dutch products to China increased by 20 percent in 2023. The trade balance has therefore become less negative by 24.5 billion euros. Nevertheless, the trade balance with China is still 81.9 billion euros negative.

Fewer ICT products from China

The decline in import values ​​applies to more than 71 percent of the goods groups imported from China. The four biggest decliners are computers, laptops and tablets; telephones, modems and routers; chips, semiconductor elements and solar panels and televisions. These goods groups together account for a decrease of 12.4 billion euros. The largest decliner is the group of computers, laptops and tablets, with a decline of 6.7 billion euros. Of this, 5.4 billion euros can be attributed to reduced imports of laptops from China (from 18.2 billion euros in 2022 to 12.7 billion euros in 2023). Another major decline is the goods group routers and modems, with a decline of 1.7 billion euros. The import value of light-sensitive semiconductors also shrank by 1.1 billion euros.

The biggest increase in goods imported from China were passenger cars. The import value of this grew from 107.6 million euros in 2022 to 1.1 billion euros in 2023.

More products from Taiwan

In 2023, more than 43 percent of imported computers, laptops and tablets came from China. A year earlier that was almost 57 percent. Taiwan has been able to benefit from this shift; the import value of these Taiwanese goods was three times higher 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. That is the second largest market share within computers, laptops and tablets. The import volume has increased by 290 percent compared to 2022.