Strategically located in Western Europe, the Kingdom of the Netherlands shares land borders with key trading partners Germany and Belgium as well as a maritime border with the United Kingdom. The Netherlands also has a presence in the Caribbean including Aruba, Saba and Bonaire.

Despite its relatively small population, the Netherlands ranks as the world’s 27th biggest economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity basis, outputting US$1.056 trillion worth of products and services as of April 2021.

Informally called Holland, the Netherlands places second among the most densely members of the European Union after Malta. The Netherlands’ population was 17.5 million people in 2021.

The Netherlands is recognizable as one of the world’s most profitable and productive trading hubs.

The official language for the Netherlands is Dutch, with 90% of native Dutch people also speaking English as a second language.

Demand for imported consumer goods from the Netherlands in 2020 resulted in a subtotal US$213 billion worth of Dutch spending on the 100 most valuable consumer imports identified in this article.

That consumer-driven dollar amount translates to 44.1% of the overall value of all goods imported into Netherlands. Spending on all Dutch imports, including raw materials, intermediate products and semi-finished goods, totaled an estimated overall $482.8 billion in 2020.

Among the most valuable consumer products imported into the Netherlands for 2020 are: phone devices including smartphones; processed petroleum oils; computers including optical readers; medications; and cars.

Spending on all of the Netherlands’ imported goods declined by -6.2% from 2019 to 2020. Dutch purchases focused on its top 100 consumer imports posted a smaller -5.8% decrease over the latest annual period.

The deceleration in Dutch spending for key imported consumer products was less drastic than the global average decline from 2019 to 2020, which was an average drop of -8.2% for all importing countries around the world.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by the Netherlands, 59 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas 41 declined.

Changes in Dutch consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Netherlands’ Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in the Netherlands spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2019 to 2020 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Processed petroleum oils: US$17,123,958,000 (down -41.7%)
Medications: $11,065,786,000 (up 15.8%)
Cocoa beans: $2,375,923,000 (up 4.1%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $2,298,807,000 (up 6.8%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $2,180,006,000 (up 2.5%)
Other food preparations: $1,861,374,000 (up 10.7%)
Palm oil: $1,858,860,000 (up 11.2%)
Soya beans: $1,742,083,000 (up 13.7%)
Petroleum gas: $1,718,822,000 (down -54.4%)
Dates/pineapples/mango/avocado: $1,683,410,000 (up 18.5%)
Wine: $1,481,683,000 (up 10.9%)
Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries: $1,471,130,000 (up 1.8%)
Fresh or chilled beef: $1,400,732,000 (down -10.8%)
Cheese, curd: $1,395,663,000 (down -5.2%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preps: $1,343,214,000 (up 2.3%)
Miscellaneous fruits (fresh): $1,315,053,000 (up 16.7%)
Corn: $1,310,244,000 (down -3.3%)
Fruit and vegetable juices: $1,256,285,000 (down -2.1%)
Coffee: $1,190,863,000 (up 2.9%)
Fresh or dried citrus fruit: $1,164,056,000 (up 15.8%)
Miscellaneous live plants: $1,103,376,000 (up 9.8%)
Other organic cleaning preps: $1,064,945,000 (down -1.5%)
Fresh/dried flowers: $1,063,308,000 (up 7.5%)
Grapes (fresh or dried): $930,169,000 (up 1.6%)
Bananas, plantains: $922,279,000 (up 3%)
Poultry meat: $917,173,000 (down -6.9%)
Alcohol (spirits, liqueurs): $879,993,000 (down -2.7%)
Waters with added sugar: $850,299,000 (up 7%)
Sowing seeds, fruits, spores: $836,275,000 (down -4.9%)
Other preserved/prepared meat: $798,110,000 (down -4.1%)
Perfumes, toilet waters: $757,208,000 (down -2%)
Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil: $751,905,000 (up 42.8%)
Live poultry: $742,973,000 (up 3.6%)
Fish fillets, pieces: $726,297,000 (down -4.1%)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $714,786,000 (down -44.3%)
Concentrated/sweetened milk: $708,390,000 (up 10.4%)
Swine meat: $706,739,000 (up 11%)
Miscellaneous preserved fruits: $705,355,000 (up 1.2%)
Other fresh/chilled vegetables: $682,936,000 (up 7%)
Malt extract, food preparations: $680,451,000 (down -19.9%)
Butter: $675,994,000 (down -1.9%)
Medication mixes not in dosage: $668,674,000 (up 10.1%)
Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust: $666,703,000 (up 124.5%)
Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared): $666,522,000 (up 27.1%)

Convenience products led by the products listed above represent the European country’s second-most popular import product type attracting the Netherlands’ international spending behind shopping products but ahead of speciality goods.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Netherlands’ Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

Below, the list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in the Netherlands spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Dutch spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2019 to 2020.

Phones: US$22,378,998,000 (up 0.8%)
Computers, optical readers: $16,138,778,000 (up 7.4%)
Cars: $10,441,925,000 (down -17%)
Printing machinery: $6,115,560,000 (down -13.9%)
Orthopedic appliances: $5,994,819,000 (down -3.5%)
Automobile parts/accessories: $5,093,478,000 (down -17.9%)
Computer parts, accessories: $3,307,388,000 (up 17.1%)
Electrical converters/power units: $3,250,180,000 (up 7.8%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $3,229,760,000 (up 11.4%)
Rubber tires (new): $2,373,267,000 (down -9.2%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2,238,062,000 (up 0.9%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $2,154,787,000 (up 3.6%)
Insulated wire/cable: $2,146,428,000 (up 1.2%)
Trucks: $2,131,869,000 (down -13%)
Footwear (leather): $2,109,184,000 (down -7.1%)
Yachts, canoes, row boats: $2,105,084,000 (up 7.1%)
Other pharmaceutical goods: $1,763,101,000 (up 39.1%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $1,751,364,000 (down -9.8%)
Motorcycles: $1,689,232,000 (up 14.7%)
Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): $1,631,794,000 (down -6.9%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $1,627,817,000 (down -8.3%)
Miscellaneous textile items: $1,473,229,000 (up 225.2%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $1,457,469,000 (down -21.9%)
Motorcycle parts/accessories: $1,393,906,000 (up 9.5%)
Unrecorded sound media: $1,373,011,000 (down -21.2%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $1,354,301,000 (down -11.2%)
Trailers: $1,347,005,000 (down -4.6%)
Footwear (textile): $1,297,640,000 (down -7.9%)
Miscellaneous toys: $1,265,273,000 (down -3.3%)
Paper containers, cellulose wads: $1,262,653,000 (up 0.6%)
Miscellaneous iron/steel items: $1,183,957,000 (up 0.4%)
Microphones/headphones/amps: $1,153,925,000 (up 13.9%)
Sports equipment: $1,101,326,000 (up 18.8%)
Hot-roll iron/non-alloy steel items: $1,070,007,000 (down -9.2%)
Women’s clothing (knit/crochet): $965,581,000 (down -8.5%)
Screws, bolts, washers, pins: $862,685,000 (down -9.2%)
Tractors: $855,208,000 (down -24.8%)
Footwear (rubber or plastic): $809,802,000 (down -6.3%)
Bicycles, non-motorized cycles: $767,639,000 (up 13.8%)
Video console/table games: $765,436,000 (up 13.1%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $674,027,000 (up 23.6%)
Men’s coats (unknit/non-crochet): $659,830,000 (down -5.2%)
Women’s coats (not knit/crochet): $654,540,000 (down -9.3%)
Mattresses, quilts: $608,878,000 (up 6.5%)
Shaving preparations, deodorants: $608,866,000 (up 3.3%)

Focusing on the scope of this analysis, shopping products is the Netherlands’ most popular category ahead of both convenience products and speciality items.

Shopping products approached half (45) of the overall top 100 Dutch imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Netherlands’ Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among the Netherlands’ imports that attracted the country’s spending on imported consumer goods during 2020.

Selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2020 compared to 2019.

Liquid pumps: US$1,678,415,000 (up 1.5%)
Electric storage batteries: $1,613,105,000 (up 3.8%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1,590,850,000 (up 2%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $1,188,122,000 (up 4.8%)
Air conditioners: $1,164,563,000 (up 15.8%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $1,007,904,000 (down -0.5%)
Temperature-change machines: $853,927,000 (down -4%)
Dishwash/clean/dry/fill machines: $812,897,000 (up 7.8%)
Household base metal mountings: $707,285,000 (up 1.7%)
Electric generating sets/converters: $672,655,000 (up 9.5%)
Vacuum cleaners: $566,969,000 (up 11.5%)

Like shopping products, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 56 of the Netherlands’ 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 44 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Overall Fastest-Growing Dutch Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into the Netherlands that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.

Miscellaneous textile items: Up 225.2% (US$1.5 billion)
Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust: Up 124.5% ($666.7 million)
Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil: Up 42.8% ($751.9 million)
Miscellaneous pharmaceutical goods: Up 39.1% ($1.8 billion)
Prepared or prepared fish including caviar: Up 27.1% ($666.5 million)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: Up 23.6% ($674 million)
Sports equipment: Up 18.8% ($1.1 billion)
Dates/pineapples/mangos/avocados: Up 18.5% ($1.7 billion)
Computer parts, accessories: Up 17.1% ($3.3 billion)
Miscellaneous fresh fruits: Up 16.7% ($1.3 billion)

The 5 fastest-growers are imported shopping products. These are miscellaneous textile items; miscellaneous pharmaceutical goods; packaged insecticides or herbicides; sports equipment; and computer parts or accessories.

The other 5 front-runners are non-durable imported convenience products. These growth leaders include fuel wood, wood chips or sawdust; the product subcategory titled sunflower, safflower or cotton-seed oil; and preserved or prepared fish including caviar.

Not one among the above top 10 gainers is a speciality product.

Overall Worst-Declining Dutch Consumer Imports

Spending by import buyers in the Netherlands on the following 10 items decreased in value by the highest percentages from 2019 to 2020.

Petroleum gas: Down -54.4% (US$1.7 billion)
Coal including solid fuels from coal: Down -44.3% ($714.8 million)
Processed petroleum oils: Down -41.7% ($17.1 billion)
Tractors: Down -24.8% ($855.2 million)
Cases, handbags, wallets: Down -21.9% ($1.5 billion)
Unrecorded sound media: Down -21.2% ($1.4 billion)
Malt extract, food preparations: Down -19.9% ($680.5 million)
Automobile parts/accessories: Down -17.9% ($5.1 billion)
Cars: Down -17% ($10.4 billion)
Printing machinery: Down -13.9% ($6.1 billion)

Six categories among the Netherlands’ top 10 severest decliners are durable shopping products used over a period of time. The strongest slippages among those categories were for Holland’s imported tractors; cases, handbags and wallets; unrecorded sound media; automobile parts or accessories; cars; and printing machinery.

There were 4 non-durable convenience products among Dutch 10 major import decliners from 2019 to 2020, namely petroleum gas; coal-related goods; processed petroleum oils; and malt extract or malt food preparations.

Key Product Suppliers by Country

The following analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of the most valuable consumer import products imported by the Netherlands.

The Netherlands’ biggest imported consumer product by value is phones including smartphones. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into the Netherlands are processed petroleum oils, computers, medications and cars.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for key products imported into the Netherlands:

Phones including smartphones: China (33.7% of total), United States (9.8%), Hong Kong (8.2%), Malaysia (7.5%), Vietnam (6%), Mexico (3.8%), Germany (also 3.8%), Czech Republic (3.5%), Belgium (2.9%), and Thailand (2.7%).

Processed petroleum oils: Belgium (24.3% of total), United Kingdom (11.5%), Russia (8.9%), Germany (7.5%), Singapore (4.2%), Spain (3.8%), Sweden (3.6%), France (3.4%), Finland (2.9%), and the United States (2.8%).

Computers: China (43% of total), United States (8.9%), Germany (6.3%), Taiwan (5.1%), Czech Republic (also 5.1%), Belgium (4.9%), Hong Kong (4.8%), Hungary (4%), Ireland (3.4%), and Thailand (2.4%).

Medications: Germany (33.1% of total), United Kingdom (10.7%), Switzerland (10.2%), Ireland (9.1%), Belgium (8.6%), United States (5.9%), Italy (5.3%), France (4.8%), India (1.3%), and Denmark (1.2%).

Cars: Germany (41.9% of total), Belgium (20.4%), South Korea (6%), Czech Republic (5.4%), France (4.7%), Spain (4.4%), United Kingdom (2.9%), Slovakia (2.7%), Sweden (2.2%), and Romania (1.2%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Netherlands Economy.

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.

Trading Economics, Netherlands Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

Wikipedia, Netherlands, Geography of the European Netherlands, Languages of the Netherlands.

World’s Top Exports, Netherlands Top 10 Imports.