The Netherlands is Europe’s leading bicycle manufacturer

The Netherlands produces and exports more bicycles than any other country in Europe. In 2015, a total of 793 million euros worth of bicycles were exported, a 14 percent increase over the previous year. The Dutch are the world’s third largest exporter of bikes, according to CBS and Eurostat.

One quarter of EU bike exports is Dutch

Dutch bicycle exports account for about one-quarter of total EU exports of bicycles. The bulk of Dutch bicycles for export are manufactured domestically.

The rest are imported from abroad and then re-exported. Worldwide, Asia is the largest bicycle manufacturer, with China and Taiwan as the undisputed bike export leaders. The Netherlands occupies the third position on the global ranking list.

Germany and Taiwan are the main suppliers

Despite being Europe’s leading manufacturer and exporter of bicycles, the Netherlands imported 536 million worth of bikes in 2015. More than 60 percent came from Germany and Taiwan. The second-largest exporter of bicycles in Europe is Germany.
 

2015 bicycle exports. Source: CBS, Eurostat

E-bikes on the rise

A growing number of e-bikes are being imported to the Netherlands. In 2015, imports increased by 46 percent and accounted for one-fifth of all bicycle imports. More than half of them came from China. Out of all Dutch bike exports, only eight percent were e-bikes.