The Netherlands: Europe's logistics gateway
Rotterdam handles around 14 million TEU per year — more than the next five European ports combined. If your goods come from outside Europe, there's a very good chance they land here first. We pick them up and move them onwards.
- Rotterdam — all major terminals (RWG, APM, ECT, Euromax)
- Amsterdam (Schiphol) — air cargo, e-commerce, fashion imports
- Venlo — German border, distribution hub for DACH
- Eindhoven, Tilburg — Brainport region, high-tech logistics
Most common lanes
| From | To | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam port | Anywhere in NL/BE | Same day |
| Rotterdam | Ruhr region (DE) | 24h |
| Venlo | Düsseldorf, Köln | Same day |
| Schiphol | UK / Ireland (air) | 24-48h |
| Rotterdam | Manchester (RoRo + truck) | 3-5 days |
| Rotterdam | Casablanca | 10-12 days |
Article 23 VAT deferment
The Dutch Article 23 license is the most powerful cashflow tool for any importer working through Rotterdam.
Without it: when your container clears customs, you pay 21% VAT to Dutch customs immediately. You'll get it back on your VAT return, but you're out of pocket for 1-3 months.
With Article 23: VAT is deferred to your periodic VAT return — you book it both as input and output VAT, net cashflow impact zero.
For a company importing €1m of goods a year, Article 23 frees up about €210,000 of working capital. We help non-Dutch companies set this up through a fiscal representative — included as part of our customs service.