Economy and trade — Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Economic and Commercial Section in Almaty

The economic and commercial section is responsible for the promotion of Dutch exports and investments in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, reporting about economic and trade policy developments in Kazakhstan. The Embassy is primarily focussed on providing information and assistance to Dutch companies. On request we also provide assistance to Kazakhstani, Kyrgyz and Tajik companies. The economic and commercial section of the Netherlands Embassy is located in Almaty. If you have any trade and economy related questions, you may send them to the email address [email protected].

The economic and commercial section provides the following services to Dutch companies:

Basic information about the country of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
Relevant macro-economic figures, business culture information, market- and sector information
Information on law and regulations
Providing information and assistance to Dutch companies wishing to explore the market (about potential business partners, government organizations)
Research about opportunities and threats in different sectors
Promotion and protection of the Dutch business in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

The embassy provides the following services to Kazakhstani, Kyrgyz and Tajik companies:

Basic information about the Netherlands
Information and addresses of Dutch exporters

Contact

For your trade requests or any further information concerning economy and trade between the Netherlands and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan, you can contact the Economic and Commercial Section of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Kazakhstan (Almaty) at [email protected].

The Netherlands Key Statistics

General Data

Indicator	Value	Period
Population	16,554,448 people	August 2009
Population growth	32,943 people	3^rd quarter 2009*
Employed labour force	7,325,000 people	September-November 2009*
Unemployed labour force	386,000 people	July 2009*

* - provisional figure

Source: CBS.

Economic Performance

Indicator	Value	Period
GDP (at current prices)	EUR 595,883 million EUR 136,735 million	2008 3^rd quarter 2009
GDP per capita	EUR 34,713	2007*
Economic growth	-3.7%	3^rd quarter 2009
Inflation rate	1.0%	November 2009
Unemployment rate	5.2%	September-November 2009

* - provisional figure

Source: CBS.

Foreign Trade

Indicator	Value	Period
Export of goods	EUR 254,409 million	January-October 2009*
Changes in exports in %	7.6% -19.2%	2008 January-October 2009*
Imports of goods	EUR 225,533 million	January-October 2009*
Changes in imports in %	9.5% -21.0%	2008 July 2009*
Export commodities	Machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, plants and flowers	2008
Most important export destinations	Germany (24.2%), Belgium (12.6%), UK (9.2%), France (8.1%), Italy (4.7%), United States (4.5%)	2008

* - provisional figure

Source: CBS, TradeMap.

The Dutch Market: Europe's First Distribution Center

The present strength of the Dutch economy stems to a large extent from developments in the trade and transport sector. Trade, transport and distribution play an important role in the Dutch economy. Exports of goods and services account for 75.0% of the GDP. The Dutch trade sector employs 27% of the population.
Foreign investors increasingly acknowledge the Netherlands as the "Gateway to Europe" due to its unique strategic position. A dense population of 170 million is within a 300 mile reach of Amsterdam. A total of 350 million customers are within 24 to 48 hours by rail, road and waterways like the Rhine and the Meuse. Of the total movement of goods imported in Europe, 48% enters via the Netherlands. Whether for exports or imports, the vital links are usually Rotterdam Harbour - the world's largest port - and Schiphol Airport, Europe's fourth largest airport.

Dutch Business Climate - Characterized by Flexibility and Diversity

Known for centuries as a nation of traders, the Dutch are obviously internationally oriented. They are inventive, flexible, responsive to an ever-changing market, and closely aligned with international business.
The Netherlands has approximately 660,000 companies, including a relatively large number of small businesses, making the Dutch business community highly flexible and diverse. In addition, the Netherlands is unusual among smaller countries in being the seat of a number of very large multinationals, including Shell, Philips, Unilever, Akzo Nobel and DSM. These corporations have set up large research laboratories, lending the Netherlands an important role in the development of emerging technologies.

The Netherlands - A Prime Country for Investments

Increased competition within the EU will force foreign companies to consider carefully how they are going to structure their future trade and investment activities in Europe.
The Netherlands, as the gateway to Europe is ideal for penetrating markets within the EU as well as throughout the rest of Europe. Close to 7,000 international companies have chosen the Netherlands as their European gateway. This is not surprising because its name is synonymous with international excellence in business due to its economic and political stability; its excellent distribution services and infrastructure, the high quality and productivity of its workforce with virtually no strikes; and its investments incentives and attractive tax structure.

Useful links

Websites with general information on Kazakhstan:

Official site of the President of Kazakhstan www.akorda.kz

Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan http://en.government.kz/

CIA – The World Factbook www.cia.gov

World Bank Country Office www.worldbank.org.kz

KazInform National Information Agency www.kazinform.kz/eng

Address of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Hague: Nieuwe Parklaan 69, 2597 LB, Den Haag

Doing Business in Kazakhstan:

For information about doing business in Kazakhstan, please visit one of the following sites:

Agency for International Business and Cooperation (EVD) www.evd.nl

Guides on doing business in Kazakhstan