Capital: Amsterdam
Population: 17,28 million 
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 909.07 billion US dollars (2019) (according to official data from the World Bank and projections from Trading Economics. The GDP value of Netherlands represents 0.76 percent of the world economy.)
GDP Growth Rate: 1.8%
GDP per capita (current US$): 52,447.8
Inflation: 2,7%
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%

Main Export Items: 
Machinery including computers, mineral fuels including oil, electrical machinery, equipment, pharmaceuticals, optical, technical, medical apparatus, vehicles, plastics, plastic articles, organic chemicals, Iron, steel, food and livestock 

Import items (2019): 
Mineral fuels including oil: US$98.5 billion (15.5% of total imports)
Electrical machinery, equipment: $94.3 billion (14.8%)
Machinery including computers: $84.9 billion (13.4%)
Vehicles: $36.9 billion (5.8%)
Pharmaceuticals: $32.6 billion (5.1%)
Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $27.9 billion (4.4%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $17.5 billion (2.8%)
Organic chemicals: $17 billion (2.7%)
Iron, steel: $11.8 billion (1.9%)
Other chemical goods: $9.9 billion (1.6%) 

With a surface area of more than 41,000 km2, and a population of around 17 million people, the Netherlands is one of the world’s smallest and most populous countries. 

ECONOMY

Most competitive economy in Europe 

The Netherlands has been crowned the most competitive economy in Europe by the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI). The GCI Report ranked 141 economies, accounting for 99 percent of the world’s GDP, according to 103 individual factors: institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, macroeconomic stability, health, skills, product market, labour market, financial system, market size, business dynamism and innovation capability.

Fourth most competitive in the world 

On the World Economic Forum rankings the Netherlands passed Germany and Switzerland ranking 4th behind the new leader Singapore, the United States and Hong Kong. Interestingly, the score remains the same as in 2018, when the Netherlands was 6th. The country therefore actually owes its place to the declining performance of Germany and Switzerland. 

The World Economic Forum report gives praise to the Netherlands for its well-developed innovation ecosystem and institutional framework, calling it one of the best in the world. The state of the innovation ecosystem is due to the highly skilled workforce, vibrant business dynamism and advanced innovation capability. 

As the 6th largest exporter of goods in the world, according to the 2018 CIA World Factbook, the Netherlands holds a prominent position in international trade, exceeding bigger economies such as Italy and the United Kingdom. As the ‘gateway to Europe,’ the Netherlands plays a key role as a connective hub for Chinese imports. The Netherlands also import a large amount of mineral fuel from Russia and Norway, placing these countries in the top 10 of the Dutch trading partners.
The DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index ) study shows that the Netherlands is committed to advancing new digital technologies. It is investing strategically in digital technologies thanks to joint initiatives with the EU. 

The Netherlands signed EU declarations on the European Blockchain Partnership, Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing Infrastructure.  The Dutch Strategic Action Plan for Artificial Intelligence (2019) includes specific measures to encourage companies to adopt AI and other digital technologies. 

The government of the Netherlands along with non-governmental organisations and businesses have signed a deal to realise a one hundred percent circular economy by 2050. In the Netherlands new business models are being introduced that involve paying for use, rather than owning. This triggers industry to enhance life span and reuse of products. An example is Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, where Philips provides “light as a service” – unlike selling lamps, as before. 

The Dutch waste separation systems are amongst the most effective, worldwide. As a result valuable raw materials are no longer lost in landfill sites. At the same time, innovations focus on improving recycling. This transition will foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs, while reducing waste, costs and emissions of greenhouse gasses.

MANUFACTURING
The Netherlands enjoys a strong position as a European manufacturing location for foreign-owned companies. Major multinationals in a wide range of industries have already established advanced manufacturing operations in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is  involved in the electrical engineering, and creative and high-tech industries. Each of these industries contributes to the country's developed economy. Currently, a major focus of the Netherlands is to upgrade machinery in the agricultural sector and extend transport networks.

AUTOMOTIVE & MOBILITY
With its rich history in electronics, high tech materials and data innovation, the Netherlands is a leader in automotive & mobility solutions.
 It is ranked as the #1 country most prepared for autonomous vehicles according to KPMG, and leads European countries in automotive disruption according to Roland Berger. 

Holland is already the world’s 5th largest market for electric cars. The Dutch work together on an open protocol to charge and de-charge electric vehicles to the grid providing a new way of storage. Regions like Utrecht are already testing concepts such as linking solar panels of homes to chargers on the street. Initiatives  such as the Traffic Innovation Center link industry, research and government to determine how traffic infrastructure can work with the connected vehicles of the future. 
Dutch shared research programs such as Holst, Solliance and Brightlands Materials are developing new materials to use in cars, ranging from thin film electronics and solar panels to light weight heat-resistant polymers. Organizations such as Eurocarbon and the Thermoplastic Research Center (TPRC) have know-how to make and implement new generation light weight composites, based on aircraft technology.

METALLURGY
The metallurgy industry is an important part of the manufacturing sector in the Netherlands. The industry is made up of different components, such as equipment, services, consumables, and software. The metallurgy industry in the Netherlands is highly dependent upon both traditional craftsmanship and modern techniques of production. The industry works together with other sectors such as energy and power, healthcare, mining, automobile, real estate, and private shipbuilding. 
The Netherlands is among the world's top 20 largest steel exporters. The Netherlands exports steel to more than 160 countries and territories, and its top markets include countries in the European Union (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain). The other top market is the United States.

LOGISTICS
The major cargo ports Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Amsterdam are less than one hour distance from one another. The excellent rail, road and water connections makes the Netherlands a logistics hub for through transportation of goods throughout Europe. 

For international commerce, the Netherlands with 244 million consumers at its doorstep makes it the number one gateway into Europe. Over 1,000 Asian and American companies have based their pan-European Distribution Centres in the Netherlands in order to provide their clients access to highquality service, and very fast deliveries. 
In the 2018 World Bank Logistics Performance Index the Netherlands is ranked 6th on total. It ranks at the top when it comes to efficiency of its customs procedures, the quality of its transport and IT infrastructure, the affordability of its shipping and the level of professionalism of the logistics industry. 

ENERGY INNOVATION
The Dutch government offers a variety of competitive incentives to stimulate energy innovation and promote corporate use of renewable energy sources. As a result, the Netherlands has strengthened its top position in renewable energy R&D. Wind energy – particularly offshore wind farms – is gaining ground fast in the Netherlands and worldwide. The Netherlands is also experimenting with energy from waves, algae and biomass. It has developed innovative solutions in decentralised energy production in greenhouses, CO2 ‘recycling’ and waste heat utilisation for its energy intensive horticulture industry.
 
ELECTRIC DRIVING & SHIPPING
The Dutch government hopes to reduce CO2 emissions by investing in energy-efficiency and electric driving. Electric driving also reduces noise pollution from traffic while opening up new opportunities for the commercial sector. The Netherlands had 142,686 electric vehicles on its roads in 2018. 

There are only more electric passenger cars in Norway, the US, Japan and China. The Netherlands has the most dense network of charging stations for electric vehicles. Dutch businesses, social institutions, knowledge institutes and government agencies have joined forces in the Formula E-team to accelerate the adoption of electric transport, intending to capitalise on the economic opportunities associated with it. The company Port-Liner developed the ship of the future for inland navigation: an electric ship that can carry 280 seven-meter containers and can be easily recharged. 
The Netherlands is home to the first ‘live’ smart grid community in Europe (PowerMatching City in Groningen) and has the second largest fleet of plug-in electric vehicles in the world, after Norway. The country is a living lab for e-mobility with a dense infrastructure of charging stations.

Sources: Invest in Holland, European Commission, The Netherlands Compared, Statistics 
 

List of importing markets for fasteners exported by Netherlands 

Unit : US Dollar thousand

Source: Trademap

List of supplying markets for a product imported by Netherlands 

Unit : US Dollar thousand

Source: Trademap