and petrochemical sectors in the
Netherlands.
Over half the freight
transported to and from the
Netherlands is carried by
seagoing vessels.
At seaport terminals, cargos are
transshipped for further transport by road,
rail, waterways and pipelines. The cabinet
wants the port and maritime sectors to be
safe and environmentally friendly. At the
same time, the government also
has strengthened the position of seaports,
for example by further developing
Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam, through new
sea locks in Ijmuiden and Ternuezen and
investing in roads, railways and waterways
that connect to ports. This has boosted the
economic growth of Netherlands.
Ship Building
The Dutch shipbuilding industry has
contributed to the economic growth of the
Netherlands. There were 3.2 billion euro
worth of commercial vessels manufactured
in 2008. The output value of the Dutch
commercial shipbuilding industry including
repair and maintenance has risen by about
80% since 2013 to 3.3 billion euro in 2017.
The output pleasure value of the Dutch
pleasure craft sector tallies with other
European countries and has tripled.
The Netherlands account for approximately
7% of the European market. The
Netherlands is the current market leader in
Europe for certain types of equipment such
as dredging vessels and equipment, multi-
purpose vessels and offshore vessels. Last
year, the Netherlands accounted for a
market share of approximately 80% in each
of these production areas, whereas, the
market share for passenger ships is only 2%.
How shipping and
maritime transport has
influenced the economy of
Netherlands.
The literature on the importance of
shipping to a nation‘s economy is extensive.
In both developed market economy
countries and developing ones, the
arguments have traditionally ranged from
those relating to prestige and strategic
consideration, to employment, infant
industry protection and balance of payment
benefits. This study estimates the economic
and social impact of the shipping industry
across three channels: the direct impact of
the shipping industry itself, the indirect
impact of shipping firms‘ expenditures on
inputs of goods and services from their
Netherlands supply chain (such as port
services, ship repairs, insurance, and
shipping-related financial and legal services);
and the induced impact of spending by
employees in the shipping industry and