First trade mission to the UK since Brexit

For the first time since the United Kingdom left the European Union, a Dutch trade mission with ministers will head to the country on the other side of the North Sea on Monday. The United Kingdom is one of the most important trading partners of the Netherlands.

45 Dutch companies are taking part in the two-day mission to London by Minister Liesje Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade) and Foreign Minister Vivianne Heijnen (Infrastructure). Sustainable mobility and artificial intelligence are central to the mission.

The British officially left the European Union at the beginning of 2020. It was another year of transition, and as a result, the British still adhere to the rules of the European Union. But since last year, trading has become more difficult. There is more paperwork at the border and delivery times and costs have increased.

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Increase export services

Trade between countries has not been affected much. Exports of goods to the UK fell slightly last year compared to 2020, but exports of services rose sharply. Imports also increased. The United Kingdom is the third destination for the export of Dutch goods after Germany and Belgium. The transit of goods through the Netherlands to the UK has fallen sharply since Brexit. It is assumed that these items were now imported directly by the British.

Machinery, apparatus and petroleum products mainly go to the United Kingdom. The Dutch business community mainly imports manufactured goods, chemical products, machinery and pharmaceutical products from the United Kingdom. On the agenda of Minister Schrenimacher is a meeting with her British counterpart Kimi Badenouch from international trade.

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