International Trade
Issue No. 60 - August/ /
Dutch expertise offers opportunity
Barry Salter, Executive Manager of CITCSA spoke with Erik van Zanten, President of DutchSA about international trade with the Netherlands.
Built on the delta of some of Europe’s main rivers, The Netherlands is a small country that punches above its weight in world business. It is a wealthy trading nation with 3.7% of world trade.
It has a growing and healthy economy with a strong services sector and industries such as life sciences, electronics, food, flowers, the chemical industry, water technology, agriculture technology, and engineering. Traditionally strong in IT, engineering, and research & development, The Netherlands is globally respected for its high standards and innovation power.
The Netherlands is home to several global institutions and companies operating in Australia including ING Group, ABN-AMRO, Fortis, Rabobank, AEGON, Shell, Unilever, Delta Lloyd, Philips, Heineken and Akzo Nobel, to name a few.
The Netherlands is Australia’s second largest export market within the EU after the UK. Opportunities for Australian companies in Europe can be expected in Oil & Gas, Carbon Capture and Storage, Financial Services, Water management and technology, Wind Energy, and Agriculture (high end, innovative solutions).
Interesting areas for South Australia are Water Management, Agriculture, Sustainable Energy, and Defence.
The Netherlands has the 16th largest economy and seventh largest financial sector in the world. It is the world’s fifth largest exporter of goods ($US499 billion in 2009) and is the seventh largest importer of goods ($US44...
