Exports from the Netherlands to the rest of the world rose by 4.1% in July compared with the year earlier period, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

Exports, a major driver of the Dutch economy, rose 3.2% in June. The increase in July was almost entirely due to re-exports, the CBS said.

Meanwhile, retail sales were up 0.7% in July year-on-year, due to larger volume sales, the CBS said. In particular, shops selling home furnishings reported their first rise in sales in three years.

This is a likely result of improvements in the housing market, the CBS said.