The Netherlands was the largest exporter of cocoa products, including chocolate, cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, in 2025, overtaking long-time market leader Germany, new data from Statistics Netherlands has revealed.
Last year, Dutch exports of cocoa products reached €12.4 billion, of which €11.4 billion were re-exports. This represents a near tripling of export value since 2020, when exports stood at €4.2 billion.
Export value
The growth in export value was driven in part by rising global cocoa prices, which reflected several years of poor harvests in West Africa due to unfavourable weather conditions.
It’s not the first time that the Netherlands has been the world’s largest exporter of cocoa products – it held that position before 2010, when Germany took over.
‘Approximately two-thirds of Germany’s exports of cocoa products consist of chocolate, while around a quarter of Dutch exports consists of chocolate and three-quarters of semi-finished products,’ Statistics Netherlands noted.
Major importer
The Netherlands is not only a major exporter but also the largest importer of cocoa beans by volume, solidifying its position as the most important global trader in both cocoa beans and cocoa products. Total trade, including imports and exports of cocoa beans and processed products, amounted to €13.3 billion in 2025, with the Netherlands surpassing Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Belgium, and France.
‘Dutch cocoa exports are highly dependent on cocoa imports. Cocoa beans arrive in large quantities in Amsterdam, the world’s leading trading hub for cocoa,’ Statistics Netherlands added. ‘They are then processed into semi-manufactured goods by the cocoa-processing industry in the Zaanstreek region. These products are used in other countries for the production of chocolate, but the Netherlands also exports chocolate produced domestically.’
Germany receives a quarter of the Netherlands’ cocoa exports, followed by Belgium at 13%, with France, the UK, and the US also being significant destinations. Most of these exports consist of semi-manufactured cocoa products, while finished Dutch chocolate is mainly exported to neighbouring European countries. Read more here.
