The Netherlands offers a full and comprehensive maritime infrastructure in which all shipping and shipping-related needs can be fulfilled. This is evident in the breadth and quality of the maritime service provided. The country has never lost its solid matrix of services in the areas of maritime administration, finance, insurance, accountancy, brokerage, chartering, chandlering and waste disposal. Almost all of the larger legal consultants that operate internationally have one or more offices in the country, as do many international banks.
This vast supportive infrastructure is by no means limited to the greater Rotterdam area. Amsterdam/ North Sea Canal, Groningen Seaports (Eemshaven and Delfzijl), Zeeland Seaports (Vlissingen and Terneuzen), Den Helder and Harlingen all offer all-round packages of services too. No matter where they operate, shipping-related businesses in the Netherlands are characterized by the international nature of their services.
The Dutch government and the business community in the Netherlands share the view that the maritime sector as a whole should display strong internal coherence. They have joined forces as part of a ‘Top Sectors Policy’ to ensure that top sectors as a whole are strengthened. Logistics and Water (including maritime) are two of the top sectors for which a coordinated government policy is formulated and implemented.