This decrease is mainly because fewer goods were transported within Dutch borders.
Dutch trucks transported 642 million tons of goods last year, a decrease of 7 percent compared to 2022 and therefore the lowest weight since 2015, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands. This decrease is mainly caused by a reduction in domestic transport, where the weight transported fell by 8,3 percent to 526 million tons.
International transport by Dutch trucks fell less sharply, by only 0,9 percent to 116 million tons. This is an improvement compared to 2022, when international transport decreased by 9,1 percent. These figures suggest a stabilization in cross-border transport, despite the broader downward trend.
Closer analysis shows that the construction sector has been severely affected by this decline. The transported weight of building materials such as sand, gravel and other supplies for the construction industry decreased by 12,1 percent, from 140 million tons in 2022 to 123 million tons in 2023. This reflects a contraction in construction activities in the Netherlands, possibly due to rising costs and declining demand.
The transport of agricultural goods and other food products also showed a decline, with a decrease of 5,3 percent. This reduction in transport may indicate changing agricultural conditions and consumption patterns.
An interesting contrast can be seen in trade with Belgium and Germany. The weight transported to and from Belgium fell by 5,9 percent, or 2,3 million tons, a decrease that is visible in both transport to and from Belgium. On the other hand, transport to and from Germany increased by 1,6 percent. It is remarkable that transport from Germany increased more than transport to Germany, which may indicate growing imports from our eastern neighbors.
Professional carriers in the Netherlands, who are responsible for almost 81 percent of the total transported weight, transported more than 2023 million tons of goods in 519, a decrease of 7,5 percent. This shows that the professional transport sector is significantly affected by declining transport volumes. In addition, private transport, where companies transport their own goods, decreased by 5 percent to 123 million tons.
These figures point to a broader economic trend in which various sectors in the Netherlands transport fewer goods, possibly as a result of economic uncertainties, rising costs and changing market needs. It is important to monitor how these trends develop in 2024 and what measures may be needed to support and strengthen the transport sector.
