40 percent more soybeans from Brazil

In the first half of 2020, the Netherlands has emerged as the largest importer of Brazilian soybeans in the European Union and globally, the fourth largest after China, Argentina, and Mexico, with imports reaching 1.6 billion kilos, a 19% decrease from the United States. The total soybean imports amounted to 2.4 billion kilos, valued at 811 million euros, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. The Netherlands relies heavily on these imports to support its protein crop needs, primarily soy, with a 65% increase in imports from Brazil since 2019. The country is now the EU's largest importer of soybeans, with plans to reduce its reliance on imports in favor of increasing the cultivation of European protein crops such as alfalfa, lupins, field beans, and field peas. Additionally, the Netherlands re-exports a significant portion of the imported soybeans, which are processed into soybean meal and oil for both animal feed and human consumption, with a total export value of 1 billion euros in the first half of 2020.