The Netherlanders borders Belgium to the south, Germany to the east, and the North Sea to the northwest. It is a small, densely populated country that forms the center of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands shares sea borders with the UK, Belgium, and Germany. The Netherlands is a founding member of the Eurozone, the EU, and the WTO. No American exporter can afford to ignore the benefits of ocean freight to the Netherlands.
The Netherlands’ principal trading partners include Germany, France, and the US; it is one of the world’s top-10 exporting countries in the world. The Netherlands’ major industries include chemicals, food, electronics, and machinery.
The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, and in 2013, it had the 13th-highest per capita income in the world. The country is rated very highly for its quality of life, and its location gives it premium access to markets in the UK and Germany. The Netherlands’ premier port, Rotterdam, is Europe’s largest. With this profile, it just makes sense for entrepreneurs to explore ocean freight to the Netherlands.
When deciding to send merchandise to the Netherlands, you’ll first need to assess your shipping volume. This will help you determine whether you have a full container load (FCL) or can use a shared container (LCL).
If your shipped goods take up half a shipping container or more, you’ll need a full container load (FCL). A 40-foot container can carry 22 standard pallets, while a 20-foot container accommodates 10 standard pallets. FCL is also the best choice if you wish your goods to kept separate from those of other exporters during shipping.
If keeping your goods separated from others’ merchandise isn’t a concern, groupage-another term for a shared container (LCL)-is an economical option that allows you to pay only for the space you use. Consult iContainers for rates and other important information.
The port of Rotterdam handles nearly 550 million tons of goods every year; it is run by the Port Rotterdam Authority. It is the largest cargo port in Europe, and the 10th-largest in the world. The rivers Scheldt, Meuse, and Rhine offer access to Western Europe, including the vital Ruhr region.
Every year, nearly 30,000 vessels pass through the port, which is nearly 25 miles long. It covers almost 30 acres of land and water, half of which is occupied by various business sites. The port is responsible for the generation of 3.5 percent of the Netherlands’ GNP annually.
Even the largest container vessels can access the port of Rotterdam 24 hours a day because of the port’s unrestricted depth. It offers both excellent connections for container transport across Europe as well as line connections with over 1,000 ports across the world. Competitive service providers and state-of-the-art terminals are available.
iContainers offers door-to-door shipping as part of our ocean freight services. With this service, your merchandise is picked up and delivered directly to and from your desired address. You have the option of selecting our door-to-door service to/from Netherlands as long as it’s any of the following ocean freight services:
For more information, consult ship container rates for your ocean freight to Netherlands here.