Logistics services in Netherlands.

Netherlands logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Netherlands is a maritime country with containers handled through 18 seaports, including large ports at Amsterdam and Rotterdam and medium ports such as Europoort, Dordrecht and Vlissingen. Cargo terminals at these ports reach depths of about 6 to 11 meters and all listed major ports are rail connected. Shippers can also move goods through five airports with scheduled service, including Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Rotterdam The Hague Airport.

Rail freight services handle about 7.2 billion tonne-km, supporting inland moves to hubs such as Duisburg, Bremen and Paris. Road freight links Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Duisburg and Brussels over distances of about 200 to 230 km. Container shipping through Netherlands reached about 14.5 million TEU in 2024, with strong liner connectivity supporting sea, air, rail and road combinations for both imports and exports.

When choosing freight forwarders in Netherlands, shippers operate in a high-performing logistics market. The country ranks 3rd of 169 worldwide on the Logistics Performance Index with an overall score of 4.1. Infrastructure, logistics competence, tracking and tracing all stand around 4.2, above the world median scores near 2.6 to 2.8. Customs and international shipments scores, at 3.9 and 3.7, are slightly lower and worth checking in a provider’s track record.

Forwarders should be comfortable routing through the main seaports at Rotterdam and Amsterdam, including using rail connections to Duisburg, Bremen and Paris or road links to Germany and Belgium. Deep-sea carriers with offices in Netherlands include Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, ONE, OOCL, PIL, X-Press Feeders and ZIM, mostly in Rotterdam. Shippers can compare forwarders on how they use this carrier network, handle short export and import lead times, and manage EU-bound cargo under relatively low average tariffs.

Netherlands handled about 14.5 million TEU in 2024 and ranks 12th of 168 worldwide for container throughput. The country has 18 listed seaports, including large ports at Amsterdam (NLAMS) and Rotterdam (NLRTM), and medium ports such as Europoort (NLEUR), Dordrecht (NLDOR) and Vlissingen (NLVLI), many with rail access and cargo pier depths between about 6.4 and 11 meters. The liner shipping connectivity index stands at 90.74, ranking 6th of 169 in the world and 1st of 35 in its region.

Major shipping lines with offices in Netherlands include Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, OOCL, PIL, X-Press Feeders and ZIM, mainly concentrated in Rotterdam. Observed FCL rates to Rotterdam on 31 October 2026 include Shanghai to Rotterdam 40HC at a median of 3,758 USD, Ho Chi Minh City to Rotterdam 40ST at 4,197 USD, and Guangzhou to Rotterdam 40HC at 3,702 USD. On 29 October 2026, Ningbo to Rotterdam 40HC showed a median of 3,535 USD. For LCL, Guangzhou to Rotterdam for 500 kg / 1 m³ had a median of 301 USD on 30 October 2026. Sea distances from Rotterdam are about 575 km to Hamburg, 906 km to Gothenburg and 1,640 km to Gdansk.

Air freight in Netherlands uses five airports with scheduled services. Main gateways include Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Eindhoven Airport (EIN), Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ), Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) and Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTM). These airports support a mix of passenger and cargo operations for both exports and imports.

The air cargo market moved about 3.3 billion tonne-km in 2023, ranking Netherlands 15th of 184 countries worldwide and 6th of 49 in its region. Short distances from Amsterdam (AMS) to Brussels (BRU) at 166 km, Cologne (CGN) at 241 km and Luxembourg (LUX) at 331 km allow shippers to combine trucking with air freight across nearby hubs when needed for time-sensitive and high-value goods.

Rail and road freight in Netherlands connects seaports and airports to nearby European markets. Rail freight volume reached about 7.2 billion tonne-km in 2021, placing the country 39th of 113 worldwide and 24th of 47 in its region. Major seaports including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Europoort, Dordrecht and Vlissingen are all rail connected, which supports direct intermodal moves.

Key cross-border rail routes link Rotterdam to Duisburg at about 212 km, Rotterdam to Bremen at 395 km and Rotterdam to Paris at 450 km. Road freight corridors from Amsterdam to Duisburg (199 km), Rotterdam to Duisburg (214 km) and Amsterdam to Brussels (231 km) provide short trucking legs into Germany and Belgium. These distances matter when planning hinterland distribution from Dutch ports and airports.

Customs clearance in Netherlands operates within a high-income economy that is strongly integrated into global trade. Exports are about 989 billion USD and imports about 870 billion USD in 2025, with GDP around 1.3 trillion USD and a population of about 18.1 million. The average applied tariff stands at about 1.33 percent in 2022, reflecting relatively open trade conditions.

On the Logistics Performance Index customs component, Netherlands scores 3.9 against a world median of 2.6. Overall LPI is 4.1, compared with a world median of 2.7. Reported median lead times are short at 2 days for exports and 1 day for imports in 2018. For smooth clearance, shippers should ensure accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents, and select brokers or forwarders experienced in handling this high-volume, time-sensitive trade environment.