New data released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) just before Christmas shows a large decline in exports of agricultural products from the country to the UK for the first eight months of 2021.
Exports of meat, dairy, fish, fruit and vegetables to the UK amounted to €2.2 billion between January and August, a drop of 8.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2020. At the same time, total Dutch exports of these products actually grew by more than 5 per cent during the period. Food imports from the UK almost halved compared to the first eight months of 2020, to €281 million.
According to Netherland News Live, ‘The figures seem to show that the British have become a less attractive trading partner after Brexit… From now on, food exporters wishing to transport tomatoes, pears or cheese across the North Sea will have to deal with British customs. This leads to longer transport times, extra checks and forms and – in the case of fresh plant and animal products – health certificates.’
According to the CBS, the British share of the total Dutch export of food products was 11.5 per cent in 2015 but has now fallen to just 7.6 per cent. As a result, the UK has fallen from second to fourth place in the list of most important trading partners in this area, after Germany, Belgium and France. While the total export value of fruit and vegetables has increased by 34 per cent since 2015, exports to the UK have actually decreased by 14 per cent. As a further blow, Dutch suppliers were hit with €121 million in import duties for goods supplied to the UK.