Border regions increasingly buy fuel outside the Netherlands
Freely available public sources confirm a strong border effect, but not the precise current increase reported in the latest coverage.
For motorists in border regions, a price difference with Belgium or Germany can make choosing a foreign filling station attractive. Research shows that Dutch filling stations consequently lose turnover, but the current claim of twenty per cent more fill-ups across the border was not directly found in a publicly available DNB source.
A study into the effects of fuel duty found that households in the border region bought an average of 3.6 litres less from Dutch filling stations after a duty increase. This amounted to around twenty per cent of their previous Dutch fuel consumption in the second half of 2023. The result points to a shift in purchases, but does not directly measure the total number of fill-ups in Belgium and Germany.
Sensitivity is particularly high close to the border. Answers to parliamentary questions state that an estimated 21 per cent of Dutch petrol sales, 32 per cent of diesel sales and 28 per cent of LPG sales take place within twenty kilometres of the national border. A relatively small price difference can affect the competitive position of filling stations there.
According to the Dutch government, fuel duty on petrol, diesel and LPG will remain reduced through 31 December 2026. The rates were not indexed in 2026. The cabinet is trying to limit price increases for consumers, while the measure simultaneously costs the Treasury revenue.
Pump prices are determined by more than fuel duty alone. The oil price, fuel sellers’ margins, local competition and the distance to a foreign filling station also play a role. CBS figures therefore show separate price series for border areas near Belgium, border areas near Germany and the rest of the Netherlands.
For filling stations in border municipalities, the effect may extend beyond lower fuel sales alone. Customers sometimes combine filling up with groceries or other purchases, meaning that shops and amenities in the surrounding area may also lose turnover. The scale of this broader effect at present is not shown by the public studies consulted.
The latest headlines turn a current DNB measurement of twenty per cent into news, but we could not freely consult the underlying publication. It is certain that price differences can shift purchases across the border. The scale of the current increase is uncertain, as is how much is caused by fuel prices and how much by other purchases or travel patterns.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Price differences can shift fuel purchases to Belgium and Germany.
- The temporary Dutch fuel duty reduction continues until the end of 2026.
- The border region accounts for a relatively large share of Dutch fuel sales.
Left
Arguments The government should keep fuel affordable and not place the burden mainly on people who depend on a car outside cities. Structural support or lower fuel duty may be needed as long as affordable alternatives are unavailable.
Values Affordability, regional equality and protecting low-income households.
Consequences Lower fuel duty can help consumers, but reduces public revenue for climate policy and public transport.
Centre
Arguments A temporary fuel duty measure may be defensible, but must be weighed against the budget and European-coordinated fuel rules. Targeted support for border regions may be more effective than a general reduction.
Values Effectiveness, practicability and budgetary discipline.
Consequences Targeted measures limit costs, but may be more complicated and create new exceptions.
Right
Arguments High national taxes drive consumers to foreign filling stations and disadvantage Dutch businesses. The government should reduce the tax burden and give companies room to compete on price.
Values Low taxes, enterprise and freedom of choice.
Consequences Lower fuel duty can help filling stations and motorists, but creates a gap in the government budget.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The structural effects of price differences and fuel duty have been confirmed by public studies and government information. The current claim of twenty per cent more cross-border fill-ups has been qualified because the underlying DNB publication could not be checked freely.
- confirmed Households in border regions bought an average of 3.6 litres less from Dutch filling stations after a fuel duty increase. — Mentioned in the publicly available ESB publication on the study of fuel duty border effects. source
- confirmed An estimated 21 per cent of petrol sales take place within twenty kilometres of the border. — The figure appears in the answers to parliamentary questions. source
- confirmed The fuel duty reduction applies through 31 December 2026. — The Dutch government states the duration of the temporary reduction. source
- uncertain There are twenty per cent more fill-ups across the border. — The exact current DNB publication behind this feed headline could not be freely consulted. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: DNB sees twenty per cent more fill-ups across the border.Now: Public studies confirm a strong border effect, but not the precise current increase in the number of fill-ups. (The current underlying DNB source could not be independently checked.)
Editor's note
The structural border effect is well supported. The precise current DNB measurement of twenty per cent could not be checked against a freely available primary source.Sources
- Pompprijzen in de grensstreek, 2022-2026 — CBS
- Kamervragen over grenseffecten van brandstofaccijns — Tweede Kamer
- Grenseffecten van brandstofaccijns — ESB
- Wanneer en hoe betaal ik accijns? — Rijksoverheid
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „brandstof tanken”
- Het Parool — „brandstof tanken”
- de Volkskrant — „brandstof tanken”