* Dutch economy
* Doing Business in the Netherlands
* Export opportunities for Sri Lankan products
Dutch economy
The Netherlands has been a trading nation for centuries. It is a highly developed open economy. As the country is not richly endowed with natural resources the key to Dutch prosperity is foreign trade. More than half of the country’s GDP comes from international trade. The country’s geographical system, the harbours of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Schiphol airport, and the small size of its domestic market have encouraged the Dutch to make their economy one of the most open and outward looking in the world. For more information and an overview of the Dutch economy please visit one of the following websites:
- 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Netherlands Foreign trade Agency
- Dutch Statistical office/CBS
- Dutch Ministry of Finance/Stability Programme for the Netherlands
- Netherlands Bureau for economic policy analysis, CPB, which provides independent forecasts and analyses on the Dutch economy.
Doing Business in the Netherlands
The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) is a good source of information about the various aspects of doing business in the Netherlands (taxation, labour, business law, establishing a facility, etc.). It is freely available through their website www.nfia.nl You will find similar information on the website of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce as well as on the website of the Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency ( www.holland.com click on ‘Trade & Industry).
For information on customs, the website of the Netherlands customs, has a variety of information available.
Information on immigration rules and procedures in the Netherlands available through the website of the Immigration and Naturalization Service ( IND), a department of the Ministry of Justice.
Concerning taxation, a brochure is published by the Ministry of Finance with very helpful information about taxation in the Netherlands. The official website is www.minfin.nl/en/home. Call the tax department in Heerlen which is specialised in foreign and private persons and companies. Tel: 0031 45 577 9000. Fax: 0031 45 577 9472.
Other (commercial) organizations provide similar information on their websites, mostly for free. The list below does not purport to be all-inclusive, nor can it in any way be construed as an endorsement by the embassy of the companies referred to or the information provided by those companies.
1. Ernst & Young publishes 'foreign entrepreneurial services', click also on “Quick links for specific information on taxation;
2. KPMG publishes 'International Services Department', click on 'international business support';
3. Baker & McKenzie publishes 'Doing Business in the Netherlands', click on 'publications'. Available at a fee;
4. UHY publishes 'Doing Business in the Netherlands', click on 'publications';
5. WorldBiz.com publishes ‘Doing Business in the Netherlands’, see www.worldbiz.com/netherlands.html Available at a fee;
Export opportunities for Sri Lanka products
For information about export opportunities for Sri Lankan products in the Netherlands please visit the website of one of the following organisations:
- Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Netherlands
25 Torrington Avenue
Colombo, Sri Lanka
011-2596914
- www.cbi.nl
