Trade mission lays foundation for lasting trade relationship between Brazil and the Netherlands

06/02/22

An incoming trade mission from the Netherlands to Brazil will strengthen the long-term cooperation between the Dutch and Brazilian maritime business communities. Representatives of 9 companies from the Dutch maritime sector will be in Brazil from 5 to 9 June. The mission has been organised by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Consulate General and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Brazil, and Rotterdam Partners. The schedule includes a visit to the Brazilian port cities of Pecém, Santos and Paranaguá

Increasing trade volumes

The Dutch maritime cluster generates annual added value of over 21 billion Euro. A significant part of this comes from Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe. Dutch knowledge in the field of port development, terminal management and maritime logistics are a much sought-after export product.

Brazil is the Netherlands’ largest trading partner in Latin America. Moreover, the trade relationship has been increasing in recent years. In 2021, Dutch imports from Brazil stood at €5.3 billion. The vast majority of this is agro food (50%) and raw materials (about 25%). The Netherlands exports goods worth €2.9 billion to Brazil annually; mainly chemicals, mineral fuels and machinery.

The maritime capital of Europe

The purpose of the mission is to establish long-term cooperation between the Netherlands and Brazil in the maritime field. As the Brazilian port sector is on the rise, they are looking for expertise in the fields of supply chain management, port expansion and traffic management. The Dutch bring this, along with expertise in cross-sector fields such as digitalisation, energy transition and innovation.

With six of the nine participating companies from the Rotterdam region, the port city has a large share in the mission, which is led by Wilbert Lek, director of Rotterdam Partners.

Wilbert Lek, mission leader: "Dutch maritime and logistics expertise is in great demand all over the world. Much of that knowledge and skill comes from Rotterdam, the maritime capital of Europe. By linking that expertise to demand in Brazil, we are stimulating international trade with this mission."