01Key Takeaways
- Curaçao exported $82.1 million worth of goods in 2020, down 14.7% from $96.3 million in 2019.
- Bonaire was the top destination by far, taking 33.6% of total exports, worth $27.6 million.
- Ships, boats and floating structures led export categories at 12.6% of value, worth $10.3 million.
- Curaçao's top three destinations, Bonaire, the Netherlands, and Aruba, are all constituent parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and together account for 59.9% of export value.
022-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Value | $96.3M | $82.1M |
03Top Export Markets (2020)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caribbean Netherlands | $27.6M | 33.6% |
| 2 | Netherlands | $11.5M | 14.0% |
| 3 | Aruba | $10.1M | 12.3% |
| 4 | United States | $8.3M | 10.1% |
| 5 | Areas, nes | $6.8M | 8.3% |
| 6 | Italy | $3.9M | 4.7% |
| 7 | Sint Maarten | $2.2M | 2.7% |
| 8 | Other Asia, nes | $2.1M | 2.6% |
| 9 | Panama | $1.8M | 2.2% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | $1.1M | 1.3% |
04Top Export Categories (2020)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ships, Boats and Floating Structures | $10.3M | 12.6% |
| 2 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $6.3M | 7.7% |
| 3 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $6.0M | 7.3% |
| 4 | Salt; Sulphur; Earths and Stone; Plastering Materials, Lime and Cement | $5.6M | 6.8% |
| 5 | Commodities not specified according to kind | $5.3M | 6.5% |
| 6 | Tanning or Dyeing Extracts; Tannins and their Derivatives; Dyes, Pigments and other Colouring Matter; Paints and Varnishes; Putty and other Mastics; Inks | $4.7M | 5.7% |
| 7 | Miscellaneous Edible Preparations | $4.3M | 5.3% |
| 8 | Optical, Photographic, Cinematographic, Measuring, Checking, Precision, Medical or Surgical Instruments and Apparatus; Parts and Accessories thereof | $4.0M | 4.9% |
| 9 | Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar | $3.5M | 4.3% |
| 10 | Soap, Organic Surface-Active Agents, Washing Preparations, Lubricating Preparations, Artificial Waxes, Prepared Waxes, Polishing or Scouring Preparations, Candles and similar Articles, Modelling Pastes, Dental Waxes and Dental Preparations with a basis of Plaster | $3.1M | 3.7% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Bonaire and the Netherlands Anchor a Trade Network Within the Kingdom
Curaçao exported $82.1 million worth of goods in 2020. That was down 14.7% from $96.3 million the year before. Bonaire took the largest share by a wide margin. The nearby island absorbed 33.6% of total export value, worth $27.6 million. Netherlands followed at 14.0% ($11.5 million), and Aruba ranked third at 12.3% ($10.1 million). Bonaire, the Netherlands, and Aruba are Curaçao's top three destinations. All three are fellow constituent parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Combined, they took 59.9% of total export value in 2020. That pattern reflects how closely Curaçao's goods trade still runs through the rest of the kingdom, rather than through distant markets.
United States followed at 10.1% ($8.3 million). A further 8.3% ($6.8 million) is recorded under unspecified destinations in the trade data, a category used when the reporting country does not disclose a specific buyer. Italy took 4.7% ($3.9 million), and Sint Maarten followed at 2.7% ($2.2 million). Sint Maarten is itself another constituent country within the kingdom. That extends the regional pattern seen at the top of the list. Unspecified Asian destinations added 2.6% ($2.1 million), just ahead of Panama at 2.2% ($1.8 million). United Kingdom rounded out the top ten at 1.3% ($1.1 million).
Ship Repair Leads a Small but Varied Export Mix
Ships, boats and floating structures topped Curaçao's export categories in 2020. The category brought in $10.3 million, worth 12.6% of total export value. Damen Shiprepair Curaçao, the region's largest drydock, operates out of Willemstad and services vessels from across the Caribbean and beyond. Exported ship parts, refits, and related maritime work likely account for much of this category. Vehicles followed at 7.7% ($6.3 million). Machinery and mechanical appliances added 7.3% ($6.0 million). Salt, sulphur, and construction minerals contributed 6.8% ($5.6 million), and commodities not specified by kind added a further 6.5% ($5.3 million).
Tanning and dyeing extracts, along with paints and inks, took 5.7% ($4.7 million). Miscellaneous edible preparations added 5.3% ($4.3 million). Optical and medical instruments contributed 4.9% ($4.0 million). Beverages, spirits and vinegar took 4.3% ($3.5 million), and soap and washing preparations closed out the top ten at 3.7% ($3.1 million). No single category dominates the way commodities do in larger regional economies. Curaçao's economy leans heavily on financial services, logistics, and tourism rather than goods manufacturing. That spread across ten fairly even categories reflects the island's smaller industrial base.
Only Two Confirmed Years of Data Are Available
Confirmed export data for Curaçao currently covers just two years, 2019 and 2020, rather than a longer multi-year trend. Exports stood at $96.3 million in 2019 and fell to $82.1 million in 2020, a 14.7% decline. That drop lines up with the broader disruption global trade saw that year. Beyond these two data points, a longer trend cannot be confirmed from the available figures. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories moved, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.