Band 9: The charts give information about the amount of exports (millions of tonnes) moving through Rotterdam port in Holland to various global destinations in 2002 and 2012; and also the % rates of tax imposed on these exports by the receiving countries. Write a report summarising the information. Select and describe the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The first table illustrates the volume of exports (in millions of tons) transported through a port in Holland to international destinations over a ten-year period (2002–2012), while the second table presents the tax rates imposed in these regions. Overall, there is a negative correlation between tax rates and the volume of exports received by each region.

Over the course of 10 years, Europe remained the largest recipient of exports, despite experiencing a slight decline from 6,900 to 6,400 million tons. A similar trend was observed in the USA, China, and Latin America, where export volumes fell modestly by 300, 100, and 300 million tons, respectively. Conversely, Asia Pacific and Australasia saw significant growth, with export volumes approximately tripling (from 800 to 2,550 million tons and from 700 to 2,300 million tons, respectively), contributing to the overall increase in total exports.

Regarding tax rates, clearly, the regions that experienced a decline in export volumes had increased their tax rates. For instance, Europe, China, and Latin America saw considerable tax hikes of 3%, 2%, and 1%, respectively. In contrast, the substantial growth in exports to Asia Pacific and Australasia coincided with a noticeable reduction in their tax rates by 3%.