Half of soy comes from Brazil, import volume is increasing

Imports from the United States have been declining for years, but the US is still the second country of origin for soy to arrive in the Netherlands. Canada is an emerging supplier, with Ukraine (still far behind) being a supplier. Germany is the main buyer of soybeans in transit.

According to the CBS, imports from Brazil have increased further this year, and quite strongly. However, there is no steady upward trend in Dutch soy imports. Like the value of imports, the volume also fluctuates from year to year.

This has to do with price compared to possibly competing products and availability. The question itself also plays a major role. 

Soy can often no longer be traced after processing
After arrival in the Netherlands, the soy is in most cases crushed in oil mills in the ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The soybean oil, the most valuable part, is mainly used for the cosmetic industry and human food. The majority of it can no longer be traced after processing, because it is included in a composite product. A small part, good for an export value of about €200 million per year, is still exported as oil.

Another stream is that of soy flour, which is also partly processed in all kinds of foods, including veggie burgers. 

Feed under the radar
The flow of soy products for the animal feed industry has disappeared under the radar since about 2012, the CBS reports. Due to a lack of response from the parties surveyed, no more data has been collected on this. Until 2012, this involved several hundred thousand tons of soy meal and other soy ingredients that were not used for human use for whatever reason.