76 billion euros of Dutch export ordered online

In 2021, Dutch companies exported 76 billion euros worth of goods and services ordered online. This accounted for 14 percent of these companies’ total exports. As many as 52 percent of ecommerce companies sold crossborder in that year.

This is according to new research from Statistics Netherlands, which compared online export data from 2012 and 2021. Nearly 31 percent of the companies surveyed received orders through ecommerce in 2021. Nine years earlier, that share was 22 percent. According to the study, these were mainly online orders for books or clothing, meals or groceries and booking airline tickets or accommodations.

52% of ecommerce companies sold cross-border

Of the surveyed ecommerce companies, 52 percent were selling cross-border by 2021. In 2012, the figure was 41 percent. These purchases were mostly made on websites and apps. Of all ecommerce companies, 23 percent use these sales channels.

The value of Dutch export was mostly created by B2B cross-border sales.

Most of the value of the total Dutch online export was created by B2B cross-border sales. A smaller portion of the value was created by orders to consumers. Orders placed by consumers tend to have a smaller value.

Large share of export went to EU countries

More than three-quarters of the value of cross-border sales went to EU countries in 2021. Germany was the largest customer for Dutch companies generating at least 50 percent of turnover from cross-border sales. This was followed by France and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the proportion of companies exporting to France was highest. Thus, many orders of relatively smaller value were sent to France.