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Country Commercial Guides
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CHAPTER VII. INVESTMENT CLIMATE
Openness To Foreign Investment
The Netherlands' trade and investment policy is among the most open in the world. With merchandise exports and imports combined accounting for more than two-thirds of GDP, the Dutch economy is one of the most internationally oriented in the world. The Netherlands is also one of the world's largest suppliers of investment capital and currently ranks number six among the ten largest foreign investors in the world. The Dutch government maintains liberal policies toward foreign direct investment, and adheres to the OECD investment codes. The only Dutch exceptions to national treatment are in air transport and maritime transport. In air transport, nationality and ownership requirements apply for licenses to operate an airline and cabotage is reserved to national airlines. With the exception of a few public and private monopolies from which foreign and domestic private investment is banned (the Netherlands Central Bank, Netherlands Railways, and public broadcasting),foreign firms are able to invest in any sector of the economy and are entitled under the law to equal treatment with domestic firms. The Dutch are also bound by European Union reciprocity provisions in banking, investment services and a few other areas. Provision of government incentives, national rules of incorporation, access to the capital market, etc., are all non-discriminatory. The government has reduced its role in the economy since the 1980's, and has moved forward with structural reform in areas such as deregulation, privatization and stronger competition policy. While the gas and electricity sector is gradually being opened up for foreign competition, the government maintains its dominant position in rail transport, and public utilities, and continues to play a large role in aviation, and telecommunications.
Despite relatively high labor costs, foreign investors favor the Netherlands for their European investment projects because of the country's stable political and macro economic climate; a highly developed financial sector; the presence of a well educated, flexible and productive labor force, and the high quality of its physical and communication infrastructure. The Netherlands is also known for its favorable fiscal climate. Tax rulings given to foreign investors provide transparency with regard to investors' long-term tax obligations. This put the Netherlands among major league players in attracting foreign investment. The business climate in the Netherlands has come out very favorably in surveys by various international institutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit's 1998 survey of global business environment singled out the Netherlands as the country with the most favorable business climate for the period 1997 through 2001. The International Location Advisory Service (ILAS) subscribes to Economist's observation but flags recruitment problems (particularly in IT) in a tight labor market, and a shortage of industrial sites as potential bottlenecks in attracting foreign direct investment to the Netherlands.
The Dutch actively recruit foreign investment through the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), and regional provincial economic development companies. More than 25 percent of total FDI in the European Union has been established in the Netherlands. Foreign direct investment is concentrated in growth areas including information technology hardware, software and services, biotechnology, medical technology, and in food processing. Investment projects are predominantly in contract manufacturing (assembly), distribution, and value added logistics. The Netherlands is particularly attractive for the establishment of European headquarters, distribution centers, call centers and shared services centers. Investment surveys indicate that U.S. investors in particular favor the Netherlands as a popular location for European Head Quarters, Call Centers, Shared Services Centers, and Distribution Centers (EDC's). Of all foreign head quarters established in Europe, an estimated 57 percent are located in the Netherlands.
The Dutch government and the EU give certain regional preferences, in the form of grants for investment in economically depressed regions of the country. These incentives are available to foreign investors on the same terms as to Dutch investors. The Investment Premium Regulation (IPR), the only major investment incentive currently available from the central government, aims to encourage investment in areas with relatively high unemployment (predominantly in the North-East) with subsidies for new investments (industrial buildings and fixed assets). The IPR applies to investments of which at least 25 percent is the investor's own capital. Investment grants range from 15 percent for expansion projects, to 20 percent of new investment in buildings and equipment, and sometimes land. Local investment subsidies are sometimes also available from regional development companies. Regional restrictions apply to certain EU subsidies.
There are no apparent foreign investment screening mechanisms, and 100 percent foreign ownership is permitted in those sectors open to foreign investment. The rules on acquisition, mergers, takeovers, and reinvestment are nondiscriminatory. All firms must conform to certain rules of conduct on mergers and takeovers. These rules are administered by the Socio-Economic Council (SER), an official advisory body composed of representatives of government, business and labor. The SER rules are intended to protect the interests of stakeholders and employees. They include requirements for timely announcement of merger and takeover plans and for discussions with trade unions. A 1999 survey among European companies by U.S. consultant Heidrick & Struggles ranks The Netherlands second after the UK as country with the most transparent corporate governance practices. Despite the de jure open policy, elaborate corporate protective measures against hostile takeovers may de facto block acquisitions or takeovers by Dutch and foreign investors. Legislation and an industry code of conduct providing for a marginal restriction of takeover defenses took effect in 1997. A further move towards more open Anglo-Saxon type merger and takeover practices is expected when by 2003 the EU takeover directive takes effect.
The Netherlands maintains no preferential or discriminatory export or import policies with the exception of those which result from its membership in the European Union. The Dutch also abide by all internationally agreed strategic trade controls. In summary, Dutch domestic restrictions on foreign investment remain minimal and no new ones are being planned. The Dutch investment climate should remain constant, but may be influenced in the future by EU policies.
The U.S. Government acknowledges the contribution that outward foreign direct investment is increasingly viewed as a complement or even a necessary component of trade. For example, roughly 60 percent of U.S. exports are sold by American firms that have operations abroad. Recognizing the benefits that U.S. outward investment brings to the U.S. economy, Government undertakes initiatives, such as investment treaty negotiations and business facilitation programs, that support U.S. investors.
Right to Private Ownership and Establishment
There are full rights of private ownership and establishment of business enterprises in the Netherlands, except in the monopoly sectors as noted in the introduction. Numerous enterprises in the Netherlands are 100 percent owned by foreign firms. Licenses are granted on the basis of competitive equality.
Protection of Property Rights
The Netherlands has a generally good record on IPR protection, with the exception of the enforcement of anti-piracy laws (see below). It belongs to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is a signatory of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, and conforms to accepted international practice for protection of technology and trademarks. Patents for foreign investors are granted retroactively to the date of original filing in the home country, provided the application is made through a Dutch patent lawyer within one year of the original filing date. Patents are valid for 20 years. Legal procedures exist for compulsory licensing if the patent is determined to be inadequately used after a period of three years, but these procedures have rarely been invoked. Since the Netherlands and the United States are both parties to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) of 1970, patent rights in the Netherlands may be obtained if PCT application is used. The Netherlands is a signatory of the European Patent Convention, which provides for a centralized Europe-wide patent protection system. This convention has simplified the process for obtaining patent protection in the member states. Infringement proceedings remain within the jurisdiction of the national courts, which could result in divergent interpretations detrimental to U.S. investors and exporters.
The enforcement of anti-piracy laws remains a concern to U.S. producers of software, audio and videotapes, and textbooks. The Netherlands allegedly is one of Europe's worst piracy offenders with as much as half of software used in the country illegally copied. An estimated 30 percent of high school students are currently copying digital audio CD's for commercial distribution. This has led to a 20 percent drop in the sales volume of the audio industry in the first half of 1999. The Dutch government has recognized the need to protect intellectual property rights and law enforcement personnel have worked with industry associations to find and seize pirated software. Dutch IP legislation explicitly includes computer software as intellectual property under the copyright statutes.
Adequacy of Laws and Regulation Governing Commercial
TransactionsForeign Trade Zones/Free Ports
The Netherlands has no free trade zones or free ports in the sense of territorial enclaves where commodities can be processed or reprocessed tax-free. There are, however, a large number of customs warehouses (EU category A through E, but no category A and F or "Free Zones") and free warehouses at designated places and international airports where goods in transit may be temporarily stored under customs supervision. Goods may be repacked, sorted or relabeled.
Major Taxation Issues
Performance Requirements/Incentives
There are no trade-related investment performance requirements in the Netherlands. General requirements to qualify for investment subsidy schemes apply equally to domestic and foreign investors. There are no requirements for employment of local capital or managerial personnel. However, in practice almost all chief executives of major U.S. subsidiaries in the Netherlands are Dutch or other EU nationals, because skilled managers are available at a cost less than that of posting an American abroad. In the case of staff personnel, moreover, Dutch nationals must be employed unless firms can demonstrate that the job in question cannot be performed by a Dutch national. This burden is eased by an existing provision that prior employment with the firm of at least two and a half years amounts to a presumption of unique qualifications for the job.
Limited, targeted investment incentives have long been a well-publicized tool of Dutch economic policy to facilitate economic restructuring and to promote energy conservation, regional development, environmental protection, R&D, and other national socioeconomic goals. Subsidies and incentives are available to foreign and domestic firms alike and are spelled out in detailed regulations. Subsidies are in the form of tax credits which are usually disbursed through corporate tax rebates, or direct cash payments in the event of no tax liability. The investment premium regulation (IPR), the only major investment incentive still available to investors, aims to encourage corporate investment in parts of the country with a high unemployment rate by giving an investment subsidy for new investments (industrial buildings and fixed assets).
The IPR subsidy applies to capital investment, of which at least 25 percent is the investor's own capital. Grants ranging from 20 percent of the investment up to 18 million guilders ($9 million) per project for new investment and expansion in buildings and equipment, and sometimes land, to 15 percent in case of new investment or expansion of up to eight million guilders ($4 million), made five years after establishing, apply to the Northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. IPR grants ranging for new investment and expansions in the Twenthe region in the East and the province of Limburg in the South are determined on an ad hoc basis. Local investment subsidies are sometimes also available from regional development companies. Regional non-tax incentives are available in the form of cash grants, low-interest loans, local government participation, and export guarantees for selected areas. The growing number of tax incentives offered to investors in other EU countries has prompted the government to look into the possibilities of expanding existing tax instruments to aggressively improve the Dutch tax climate vis-a-vis that in competitor countries like Belgium, Germany and Ireland.
Transparency of the Regulatory System
Laws and regulations which affect direct investment, such as environmental rules, health and safety regulations, etc., are non-discriminatory and apply equally to foreign and domestic firms. Dutch tax law facilitates attracting non-Dutch personnel to live and work in the Netherlands. Currently, the expatriate temporarily working in the Netherlands can make use of the 35 percent ruling, which provides that 35 percent of his/her gross employment income in the Netherlands is not taxable under Dutch personal income tax laws. This treatment is granted for four years, with another four years possible upon application. Furthermore, the expatriate is considered a non-resident, meaning that only income from Dutch sources is taxed in the Netherlands.
Effective January 1, 1998, Dutch corporations and branches of foreign corporations are subject to a corporate tax rate of 35 percent on taxable profits, among the lowest in the EU, and second only to the UK. Dutch corporate taxation generally allows for the exemption of dividends and capital gains derived from a foreign subsidiary (participation exemption). No local Dutch income taxes are levied on corporations. Furthermore, the Netherlands maintains an extensive network of tax treaties with a large number of countries. A new tax treaty with the U.S. took effect on January 1, 1994.
Corruption
The Dutch government is currently taking steps to prevent and combat corruption and bribery of public officials in procurement and in international business transactions. Implementing 1996 OECD recommendations, draft legislation eliminating the tax deductibility of foreign bribes was introduced in 1997. Draft legislation aimed at criminalizing commercial bribery in an effective and coordinated way is based on UN, EU, and OECD anti-bribery initiatives. Corruption in the Netherlands is, however, not expected to become a penal offense until the year 2000. Likewise, bribes paid by Dutch businesses in landing contracts abroad will continue to be deductible for corporate tax purposes until new antibribery legislation will be passed sometime in 2000. The Dutch have signed the OECD's convention on the criminalization of foreign commercial bribery and hope to ratify it before the end of 1999. At a national level, Dutch justice and interior ministries have taken steps to sharpen regulations which seek to combat bribery in public procurement and in the issuance of permits and subsidies.
Labor
The Dutch workforce is largely well-educated and multi-lingual with the skills needed in a sophisticated, high-tech economy. Because employment in the Netherlands rose more than the labor force did in the past few years, the official unemployment rate currently ranks among the lowest in the European Union. Unemployment is forecast to fall from average seven percent of the labor force in 1997, to just over five percent in 1999 and 2000, which is roughly half the EU-15 average. Despite favorable labor market developments, structural unemployment, particularly long-term unemployment, is still considered too high. The Dutch government, therefore, continues to give the highest priority to job creation.
The Netherlands currently has the highest level of part-time work of the EU. The substantial increase in the participation of women in the workforce resulted in the significant rise in part-time work. About 40 percent of the working population is currently employed part-time, which has significantly improved labor market flexibility.
The Dutch government's job creation policy is focused on the following elements: reducing the tax burden and social security contributions, moderate growth in wage levels, redistribution of work, and strengthening the economic structure. In addition, the Dutch government has taken some measures to improve labor market flexibility. This combination of greater (but not full) labor market flexibility, consensual wage restraint, and lowering of the tax burden and social security contributions has received praise as the "Dutch Model."
A 1999 benchmark report by the European industry federation Unice observed that, despite relatively high wage costs, the Netherlands has one of the highest levels of labor productivity in the manufacturing industry. In order to reduce the gap between productivity and wage costs, the Dutch government has significantly reduced employers' costs for workers who earn or are just above the minimum wage level. It has also called on organizations of employers and workers to create jobs at the lowest end of the wage scale. Currently, the lowest wage established by collective labor agreements (CAO's) is about 8 percent higher than the statutory minimum wage. Collective labor agreements (CAO's) for 1999 do indeed provide for lower wage scales.
Labor/management relations in both the public and private sectors are generally good in a system which emphasizes the concept of social partnership. Although wage bargaining in the Netherlands is increasingly decentralized, there still exists a central bargaining apparatus where labor contract guidelines are established. About 75 percent of all Dutch workers are covered by union contracts which are negotiated on a sector basis with employers associations and, if accepted by the government, extended by law to the entire sector. Collective bargaining agreements negotiated in the past few years have, by and large, been accepted by the rank and file without much protest, despite only moderate wage rises, and days lost to strikes are relatively low. The contract wages rise in 1999 and 2000 is expected to soften only slightly from a contract wage increase of over three percent in 1998. Per unit wage costs, on the other hand, are expected to rise more rapidly, and a forecast four percent increase will exceed a 1.75 percent average wage costs rise in Euroland. This is expected to reverse a decline in the share of labor in enterprise income since 1997, and raise the labor to enterprise income ratio to average 83 percent in 1999 and 2000.
Workers may be found through government-operated labor exchanges, a rapidly growing number of private employment firms or directly through, for example, newspaper ads. The average work week was brought down from 38 hours to 37 hours in 1996. There is a trend to cut working hours further in order to create jobs or avoid layoffs. Recently concluded wage contracts include provisions for a 36-hour work week. Also the American business community in the Netherlands has given a cautious thumbs up to calls to split the average 37-hour working week over four instead of five days, and treat Saturday as a normal working day. This would help ease the country's perennial traffic choked roads and allow companies to better utilize its machinery. On the other hand, new legislation has been adopted increasing the flexibility in the operating hours of companies and shops.
The Dutch have always had a trade-dependent economy which derives its strength from free trade and a stable industrial climate fostered by partnership between unions, employers organizations and the government. There is substantial labor involvement in corporate decision-making on matters affecting workers. Each company in the Netherlands with at least 50 workers is required by law to institute a Works Council with which management must consult on a range of issues including investment decisions. Legislation implementing an EU Work Council directive came into effect in March of 1998. Trade unions and management are generally receptive to foreign investment, especially where this leads to improved employment possibilities and related benefits. U.S. companies generally perceive Works Councils as contributing to management-worker relations and a benefit to the company.
Efficiency of Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment
Dutch financial markets are fully developed and operate at market rates, facilitating the free flow of financial resources. The Netherlands is an international financial center for a foreign exchange market and for Eurobonds and bullion trade. The flexibility that foreign companies enjoy in conducting business in the Netherlands extends into the area of currency and foreign exchange. There are no restrictions on foreign investors' access to sources of local finance.
Conversion and Transfer Policies
There are no restrictions on the conversion or repatriation of capital and earnings, including branch profits, dividends, interest, royalties, or management and technical service fees, with the exception of the nominal exchange license requirement for non-resident firms.
Expropriation and Compensation
The Netherlands maintains strong protection on all types of property, including private property, and the right of citizens to own and use property. Expropriation would only take place in the public interest and with adequate compensation. We have no reason to believe that it would be undertaken in a discriminatory manner or in violation of established principles of international law. Although the Embassy is unaware of any recent cases involving expropriation of foreign-owned property, government plans for a drastic reform of the concession system for gasoline stations along Dutch superhighways has caused acute concern among U.S. oil companies. The proposed reforms seek to terminate existing "indefinite" licenses and redistribute all licenses for old and new sites through a system of "asymmetrical" auction. This system may be tailored to favor new entrants and small operators, ostensibly to increase competition among operators of gasoline stations along Dutch highways. U.S. operators have raised important investment policy and property rights concerns.
Dispute Settlement
The Embassy is not aware of any investment dispute involving the Dutch government and U.S. or other foreign companies. The Netherlands is a signatory to the international convention on investment disputes and a member of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Although the central government has no rules regarding withdrawals of investment, occasionally trade unions go to court over company closures. This has occurred in the case of both domestic and foreign-owned firms.
Political Violence
The Netherlands is noted for its stable political environment. In the highly consensus-oriented Dutch society, political violence is nonexistent. The Dutch economy derives much of its strength from a stable industrial climate fostered by partnership between unions, employers organizations, and the government. Strikes are not very often regarded as the primary means to settle labor disputes, and labor strikes in recent decades have been very rare.
Bilateral Investment Agreements
The Netherlands has signed bilateral investment agreements with a large number of countries including: Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cape Verde (Republic of), Chili, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Korea (Republic of), Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova (Republic of), Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. The Netherlands adheres to the OECD codes on capital movements and invisible transactions, with the exceptions mentioned earlier, and has a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation with the U.S. which generally provides for national treatment and free entry for foreign investors, with certain exceptions.
OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs
The Netherlands has no investment insurance agreements like OPIC's. However, Dutch companies investing in developing countries through the establishment of subsidiaries or joint ventures can insure their investment against non-commercial risks with the privately-owned Netherlands Credit Insurance Company (NCM) under the 1969 Investment Insurance Act (WHI). The NCM reinsures its political risks with the Ministry of Finance. This insurance program has not been heavily utilized by Dutch investors, however, and efforts are underway to find ways of making the program more effective.
According to article 7b of the Investment Reinsurance Act of 1969, reinsurance of investment in LDC's can be provided only if a satisfactory agreement has been reached with the recipient country regarding regulations which will apply to Dutch investment in that country. The Act covers procedures which will be followed in the case of a dispute between the investor and the host country on recovery of indemnity resulting from the insurance of the investment. A temporary program covering the insurance of investment in all Eastern and Central European countries, with the exception of the former Yugoslavia and the Asian republics of the CIS was introduced in 1991. This program was merged with similar programs for developing countries in early 1997. The Netherlands is a member of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Capital Outflow Policy Guideline
Foreign Direct Investment Statistics
Data on the stock of foreign direct investment in the Netherlands (by country of origin and industry sector) and comparable data covering the stock of Dutch direct investment abroad are compiled by the Netherlands Central Bank (NB) on an ad hoc basis. The Netherlands Central Bank investment statistics reveal that the total FDI stock in the Netherlands at the end of 1997 equaled 36 percent of GDP, while FDI inflows in 1998 rose sharply to nine percent of GDP. The FDI stock in the Netherlands is among the highest in the European Union.
Foreign direct investment statistics in the Netherlands are based on sources of capital inflows and not on actual "by country" investment outlays. Official Economic Ministry statistics based on actual investment outlays by country of origin and by industry sector are protected for commercial reasons.
During the last decade the number of foreign companies with establishments in the Netherlands has grown to over 6,400, employing more than 357,000 workers. Included are more than 1,600 U.S. companies which account for 150,000 jobs. In 1998, the number of foreign direct investment projects established though the official Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) totaled 108, with a value of 1.4 billion guilders (roughly $700 million), and created roughly 5,253 new jobs. The bulk (60) were U.S. investments worth 876 million guilders ($438 million), concentrated predominantly in European headquarters and call centers. This, and capital movements by non-bank financial enterprises, raised the stock of U.S. direct investment in the Netherlands to $50 billion ($65 billion according to USDOC statistics). This ranks the Netherlands as third largest recipient of U.S. direct investment worldwide, up from fifth largest in 1995, and moving ahead of countries like France and Switzerland. There is no compulsory registration of foreign investment projects in the Netherlands. Since there is a considerable amount of regional investment acquisition, the total volume and value of direct investment projects in 1998 (NFIA sponsored projects plus independent projects) is unknown but estimated to be considerably higher than the official number.
Foreign companies in the Netherlands account for more than a quarter of industrial production and employment in industry. At the end of 1998, roughly one quarter (23 percent) of foreign establishments in the Netherlands was of U.S. origin, with four percent Japanese, 51 percent from the EU, 10 percent from other European countries, and the remaining 12 percent from non-OECD and non-EU countries. During the past few years, investment from the U.S. has seen a sharp increase in both manufacturing and services. The Economics Ministry is confident that with the completion of the EU internal market and the creation of an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), investment from the U.S. will continue to play a dominant role in overall foreign investment. Special efforts are being made to attract investments in value-added logistics, shared service centers, call centers, and European headquarters.
Major Foreign Investors
During the period 1987 through 1998, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) was involved in the establishment of 436 U.S. investment projects in the Netherlands with a total investment value of 9.3 billion guilders ($4.6 billion). The most important U.S. investment projects in the Netherlands include: Abbott, Albany International B.V., Amgen Inc., APM-Holland, American Saw & Mfg. Company Int., Amresco, Arco Chemicals, Airtouch Communications, Arrow International, BF Goodrich, Bruce Foods Inc., Caddock Europe B.V., Campbell, Cargill, Davidson/Marley, Cisco Systems Inc., Datastream Inc., Distribution Services International, Dow Chemical, Du Pont de Nemours, Engelhard Terneuzen B.V., Eastman Chemicals, Euramax Castings, General Electric Plastics, IAMS Pet-food Company, Intec Engineering, Hewlett-Packard (SCI Systems), Kelsey Hayes, Lucent Technologies, Malden Mills, Mattel, Medarex Inc., Media Cybernetics, Memorex-Telex, Metrix, Metromedia Technologies International Inc., Morton International, Nike, Oasis, Pemstar, Perkin-Elmer, Phillip Morris Holland B.V., Plantronics, Prime Computers, Reebok International, Seagate Technology, SC Johnson Polymer, Silicon Graphics Inc., Spechem B.V., SPX Power Team (O.T.C.), Tandem Computers, Tessco Technologies, Vitalink Europe B.V., Western Digital Corporation, Packard Bell, Mobil Chemical Company, Nike, Scholle Corporation, and Texas Instruments.
The Netherlands is regarded as one of the most attractive countries for setting up European headquarters, call centers, shared services centers (SSC's), and European distribution centers (EDC's). Of all foreign headquarters established in Europe, 57 percent are located in the Netherlands. An estimated 25 percent of SSC's in Europe have chosen to come to the Netherlands. The Netherlands currently also has some 200 call centers within its borders. The Dutch also lead Europe in attracting distribution centers. An estimated 42 percent of U.S. multinational companies have established a European distribution center in the Netherlands. U.S. companies investing in the Netherlands have also been expanding strongly in the micro-electronics field, value-added logistics and the establishment of European headquarters. According to the NFIA, computer manufacturers in particular are looking to northern Europe to establish an assembly, maintenance and distribution center. To this end Packard Bell is currently successfully operating a distribution center in the city of Nijmegen in the east employing 500 workers. PC manufacturer, Ingram Micro, announced plans to built a multi-million dollar regional distribution center in the province of Limburg in the south. Ingram Micro recently acquired Dutch PC producer Tulip. Other large U.S. electronics firms with establishments in the Netherlands are AT&T, Rank Xerox, IBM, and Honeywell.
During the period 1987 through 1997 the NFIA attracted 394 non-U.S. investment projects valued at 5.8 billion guilders ($2.9 billion), notably from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and including: British Oxygen Company, British Steel, Ericsson, Fuji Photo, Hoechst Holland, Kyowa Chemical Industry, Marley Foam, M&T Chemical, Mead, Metallverken, Mita Europe, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitutoyo, Nissin Food, Nissan, Omron, Outokumpu, Plalloy, Rexham UK, Roth Frere, and Supertron.
The top fifteen U.S. investors in the Netherlands - based on the number of employees, are listed below:
1. Sara Lee/Douwe Egberts NV
P.O. Box 2
3500 CA Utrecht
Phone: (31) 30 292 7311
Fax: (31) 30 293 7646
Manufacturing, sales and marketing of coffee and groceries, and household and personal care products.2. AT&T Network Systems International BV
P.O. Box 1168
1200 BD Hilversum
Phone: (31) 35 687 3111
Fax: (31) 35 687 1748
Telecommunications equipment and systems.3. Philip Morris Holland BV
P.O. Box 205
4600 AE Bergen op Zoom
Phone: (31) 164 279 911
Fax: (31) 164 279 335
Manufacturing, sales and marketing of cigarettes and tobaccos.4. Ernst & Young
G.H. Betzweg 1
3068 AZ Rotterdam
Phone: (31) 10 407 4444
Fax: (31) 10 455 6440
Accountants and auditors, tax advisers, and management consultants.5. IBM Nederland NV
P.O. Box 9999
1006 CE Amsterdam
Phone: (31) 20 513 3111
Fax: (31) 20 513 3634
Development, production, maintenance and sales of word processing, data processing and telecommunications equipment and services.6. Alcoa Nederland Holding
P.O. Box 21
5150 BA Drunen
Phone: (31) 416 386 100
Fax: (31) 416 386 210
Manufacturing and sales of aluminum rolling and extrusion and end products.7. General Electric Plastics Europe BV
P.O. Box 117
4600 AC Bergen op Zoom
Phone: (31) 164 232 911
Fax: (31) 164 232 940
Manufacturing, sales and marketing of thermoplastic resins.8. Coopers & Lybrand Dijker van Dien
P.O. Box 94200
1097 GE Amsterdam
Phone: (31) 20 568 6666
Fax: (31) 20 568 6888
Accounting and auditing services, tax and management consultancy.9. Deloitte & Touche
P.O. Box 90721
2509 LS The Hague
Phone: (31) 70 326 4701
Fax: (31) 70 324 4482
Public accountants, tax advisors and related services.10. Dow Benelux NV
P.O. Box 48
4530 AA Terneuzen
Phone: (31) 115 671 234
Fax: (31) 115 672 423
Production of chemicals and plastics.11. Digital Equipment BV
P.O. Box 9064
3506 GB Utrecht
Phone: (31) 30 283 9111
Fax: (31) 30 289 0623
Electronics12. Rank Xerox Manufacturing (Nederland) BV
P.O. Box 435800 MA Venray
Phone: (31) 478 525 000
Fax: (31) 478 588 159
Manufacturing of copying equipment and supplies.13. Du Pont de Nemours (Nederland) BV
P.O. Box 145
3300 AC Dordrecht
Phone: (31) 78 621 8911
Fax: (31) 78 616 3737
Manufacturing and sales of plastics, synthetic fibers and industrial organic chemicals.14. Cargill
P.O. Box 8074
1005 AB Amsterdam
Phone: (31) 20 580 1911
Fax: (31) 20 682 0193
Agricultural products.15. Honeywell BV
P.O. Box 12683
1100 AR Amsterdam
Phone: (31) 20 565 6911
Fax: (31) 20 565 6600
Manufacturing and sales of low pressure regulators for gas burners, micro switch precision components, control apparatus for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning controls, instruments and systems for process automation, safety controls for steam boilers, hot water boilers and special liquid level application and flow switches.Contact Information for Investment Related Inquiries
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[end of document] Note* International Copyright, United States Government, 1998 (or other year of first publication). All rights under foreign copyright laws are reserved. All portions of this publication are protected against any type or form of reproduction, communications to the public and the preparation of adaptations, arrangement and alterations outside the United States. U. S. copyright is not asserted under the U.S. Copyright Law, Title 17, United States Code.
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