Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Member of OECD
Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Washington convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Wassenaar arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies
Party of the International coffee agreement 2001

Main International economic cooperation

Member of the European Union Custom Union and numbers of multilateral and bilateral agreements.

Non tariff barriers

The Netherlands, member of the European Union applies its rules. While the EU has a rather liberal foreign trade policy, there is a certain number of restrictions, especially on farm products, following the implementation of the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy): the application of compensations on import and export of farm products, aimed at favouring the development of agriculture within the EU, implies a certain number of control and regulation systems for the goods entering the EU territory.
Moreover, for sanitary reasons, regarding Genetically Modified Organisms, their presence should be systematically specified on packaging. Beef cattle bred on hormones is also forbidden to import.
The BSE crisis ("mad cow disease") urged the European Authorities to strengthen the phytosanitary measures to make sure of the quality of meats entering and circulating in the EU territory. The principle of precaution is now widespread: in case of doubt, the import is prohibited until proof is made of the non-harmfullness of products.

Customs duties and taxes on imports

The Netherlands has (as a member of the Europian Union) one of the lowest average custom duties with 4.17%.

 

Complete detail of the custom duties by classification per product

Customs classification

Harmonized custom system.

Import procedures

Release for free circulation confers on non-Community goods the status of Community goods. Article 79 (2) Customs Code (CC) clarifies that release for free circulation entails: both the collection of import duties where goods are liable to them according to the Community Customs Tariff and no duty relief is applicable and the application of commercial policy measures (such as the presentation of an import authorisation for goods subject to quotas) and any other formalities laid down in respect of the importation of such goods (such as the presentation of a health certificate for certain animals).

Additional information about import procedures can be found on the European Commission website.

Importing samples

Weapons, ammunition, protected species of flora and fauna and drugs.

For further information

European Taxation and Customs
Dutch Custom Procedure
Dutch Customs
The Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency

We can find you the entry requirements applying to your product (paying service).

Nous pouvons vous proposer de chercher pour vous les droits de douanes qui s'appliquent à votre produit (payant).

We can find you the local taxes that apply to your product for you.

Standards

National standards organizations

Ministry of Living, Spatial Planning and Environment
European Certification Bureau
Keurmerk Instituut

Integration in the international standards network

The Dutch Ministry of Living, Space and the environment participates in the International Standard organization (ISO) the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Telecommunication Union, the European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI),the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.

Classification of standards

A CE mark is obligatory.

Online consultation of standards

Available on the European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI), the European Committee for Standardization and the European Committee for Electrotecnical Standardization's websites.

Certification organizations

Consultants Europe B.V.
KEMA Quality B.V.
European Certification Bureau Nederland.V.
Telefication B.V.

We can obtain for you the standard applying to your product (paying service).

We can obtain for you the labelling requirements applying to your product (paying service).

Intellectual Property

National organizations

The Office to voor of Industriële Eigendom Netherlands

Regional organizations

Industrial Property Office, Copyright Office

International membership

Member of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property
Membership to the TRIPS agreement - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)