In 2015, the Netherlands sold €1.1 billion worth of bicycles abroad. That amount rose to almost €2.4 billion in 2022. The Netherlands seems to export mainly more expensive and higher-quality bicycles to other EU countries.
The Netherlands also imports a lot of bicycles from abroad, some of which are resold across the border. Just over four out of ten exported bicycles were of Dutch manufacture, the rest came from abroad.
Most of the figures that the RVO compiled for a new report on the Dutch bicycle industry cover the period up to and including 2022. This means that the recent problems of bicycle manufacturers, including Batavus and Sparta’s parent company Accell, are not yet reflected in the figures. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, demand for bicycles increased, while the supply of parts from Asia decreased. Demand then collapsed again, leaving many bicycle manufacturers with large unsold inventories.
According to the RVO, this is a temporary decline and there are prospects for the bicycle industry to grow again. The Netherlands was not only able to sell physical bicycles, but also parts of its cycling culture.
There are opportunities to further expand bicycle rental and leasing programmes such as Swapfiets and Lease-a-bike, both part of PON, abroad. According to RVO, the NS OV-fiets idea, whereby train passengers can pick up a shared bicycle at the station, also offers possibilities abroad.
But exporting Dutch cycling culture as a whole is not so easy. This is because this “ecosystem” is the result of specific Dutch factors, such as the cycle path network and regulations.
