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Netherlands-Alberta Relations Netherlands – Alberta Relations PROFILE Key Industry Sectors: agri-industries, metal RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW and engineering products, electrical machinery Dutch companies such as Shell and Capital: Amsterdam and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, Harimex have investments in construction, microelectronics, and fishing. Population: 16.9 million (2014 est.) Alberta’s energy and agri-food industries. Language: Dutch (official), English, French DID YOU KNOW? and German widely spoken as second Although the capital of the Netherlands Spruce Meadows’ Masters languages. is Amsterdam, the seat of Government Equestrian Show maintains a and Parliament are in The Hague. Government: Constitutional Monarchy tradition of “Holland Days”, where Dutch companies in Alberta donate Head of State: King Willem-Alexander The Netherlands is a founding member over four tons of freshly cut Dutch became Head of State on April 30, 2013. of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization flowers. His mother, Queen Beatrix, abdicated the (NATO) and the European Union (EU) Dutch throne after serving for 33 years as and participated in the introduction of TRADE AND INVESTMENT the Euro in 1999. Queen. Rotterdam is the EU’s largest port, and many Alberta exports to the Head of Government: Prime Minister The Dutch economy is noted for stable Netherlands are redistributed to Mark Rutte (re-elected in September, 2012 industrial relations, moderate other European countries. for a third term). unemployment and inflation, a sizeable Therefore, official Alberta export current account surplus, and important statistics to the Netherlands are Currency: role as a European transportation hub. Euro, CAD$1.00 = €0.72, €1.00 = overrepresented. CAD$1.39 (November 2014) Various international judicial institutions On average over the last five years GDP: US$722.3 billion (2013) such as the International Court of (2009-2013), the Netherlands Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal th GDP (PPP): US$699.7 billion (2013 est.) ranked as Alberta’s 6 largest Court (ICC), the International Criminal export market globally and the GDP Per Capita (PPP): US$43,300 Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia largest in Europe. (2013 est.) (ICTY), and the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for From 2009-2013, Alberta domestic GDP growth rate: -0.3% (2009-2013 Rwanda (ICTR) are headquartered in exports to the Netherlands average) The Hague. averaged CAD$425 million per year, comprised mainly of nickel, Inflation: 1.9% (2008-2012 average) machinery, woodpulp, cobalt, mineral fuel and oil. Unemployment: 8.3% (2013 est.) December 2014 | Input provided by Alberta Ministries of: Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Energy, Enterprise and Advanced Education, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Energy more abundant conventional gas Saskatchewan, a chemical plant, a From 2009-2013, Alberta’s direct reserves than Alberta with 43.5 lubricant plant, a CCS project and imports from the Netherlands trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas dozens of branded retail stations. averaged CAD$81.17 million per compared to Alberta’s conventional year, comprised mainly of machinery, Calgary-based Vermillion Energy gas reserved at 32.5 Tcf (2013). beer, medical instruments and Trust has operated in the iron/steel products. This figure does Oil production is on a steady decline Netherlands since 2004, and is not include goods sold in Alberta that with only 59 k bbl/d (2013) and focused on optimizing mature oil and have arrived via distribution hubs in Netherlands is well on the way to gas wells. other provinces. become fully oil dependent; major suppliers include Russia (35%), OPEC Foreign direct investment stocks in AGRICULTURE countries (35%), UK and Norway of a Canada from the Netherlands In 2013, Alberta’s total agri-food total 1.2m bbl/d in imports. reached CAD$61.4 billion in 2012 exports to the Netherlands were making the Dutch the 2nd highest With the total refining capacity of 1.2 valued at CAD$15.4 million consisting investors in Canada. mbbl/d, the Netherlands exports mostly of Bovine Semen (8 million), over 60% of all refined products Canadian direct investment stocks in Sowing Seeds (2.4 million) and mainly to Europe, however, more the Netherlands reached CAD$11.6 mustard seeds (1.5 million). stringent product specifications billion in 2012 making the Canada and the EU have signed the (mainly sulfur content) may Netherlands the 11th highest Comprehensive Economic Trade jeopardize the competitiveness of the destination for Canadian investment Agreement (CETA). The Dutch refinery industry abroad. implementation date of CETA is The Netherlands produced 3 Tcf of Although a member of the EU, the unknown and is currently in the natural gas in 2013, consumed 1.6 Netherlands is a strong advocate for ratification process. Tcf and registered net exports around reduced subsidies and reduction in The CETA has significant potential 1.4 Tcf. Exports primarily went to protectionism. benefits for Alberta’s agriculture Germany, Belgium, the UK, Italy and industry. Once in effect, 93.6% of the France, while imports came from EU’s agricultural tariff lines will be ENERGY Norway, the UK and Russia. duty free at entry (currently The Netherlands is a net importer of The country’s first liquefied natural comparable at 18%). oil and a net exporter of natural gas. gas (LNG) receiving terminal (the Alberta will benefit from increased The country contains the Groningen Gate Terminal) officially opened in access for beef (50 times current natural gas field, the largest on September 2011 to strengthen volumes), pork (26 times current mainland Europe. Netherland’s position as Europe’s gas volumes) and bison meat (17 times distribution hub. The Netherlands’ energy consumption current volumes). There are also is mainly comprised of oil (51%) and The Netherlands remains strongly significant gains for pulse crops, oil, gas (36%), and their share in the committed to climate action and oil seeds and grains. mix is expected to decline only emission reduction. slightly in the next decade. The Netherlands pursues an “all-in” As the world’s third largest marine approach to meeting its future bunker harbor after Singapore and energy needs, including nuclear and Shanghai, the Netherlands’ Port of increasing the share of renewable EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES Rotterdam (known as the "Energy energy from 4% in 2010 to 14% by Information and Communications port of Europe"), accounts for the 2020. Technologies: Opportunities exist in majority of Dutch crude imports and wireless technologies and is also used by Western European The Canadian subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell is a major employer in applications, software for refiners trading on the Rotterdam manufacturing, healthcare, and spot market. Alberta (with 8,000 employees in Canada). Shell’s Alberta portfolio education as well as in microsystems The Netherlands has approximately includes: four natural gas complexes, and nanotechnology. 300 million barrels (bbl) in proven a joint venture in the Athabasca oil Pollution Control: The Dutch reserves of oil (2014), compared to sands project (including an government plans to inspect and Alberta’s 169.7 billion bbls; and has upgrader), a refinery in Fort EDUCATION AND CULTURE November 2008: Former Netherlands clean about 110,000 polluted sites. The University of Alberta has Ambassador to Canada, His Alberta companies have already agreements with Tilburg University Excellency Wim JP Geerts, made his participated in soil remediation and Utrecht University in the first official visit to Alberta. projects in the Netherlands. Netherlands. November 2008: Former Premier Ed Life Sciences: A market exists for Lakeland College works in Stelmach led a mission to The Hague pharmaceuticals and medical devices conjunction with De Groene Welle to meet with former Prime Minister developed by Alberta companies. College to co-ordinate a 12-week Jan Peter Balkenende and encourage Aerospace and Defence: Since the dairy exchange, which offers closer economic ties between Alberta 2008 announcement of the Canada students training on a dairy farm. and the Netherlands. First Defence Strategy to invest close to $490 billion over the next 20 years The University of Calgary (U of C) June 2007: Official visit of former to modernize the Canadian Forces, has student exchange agreements Dutch Prime Minister, His Excellency European firms such as EADS, Van with the Erasmus University Jan Peter Balkenende. Halteren Metaal BV from the Rotterdam, Leiden University, Netherlands are exploring Canadian University of Amsterdam, University June 2007: Dutch business mission strengths and capabilities in the of Groningen, University of Utrecht, visited Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Aerospace, Defence and associated and University of Maastricht. and Calgary, looking to partner in industries to address future industrial areas of energy and environment. regional benefit commitments that Grant MacEwan University and HAN may transpire should the firms University (Arnhem-Nijmegan) have secure some military deals. an MOU and have been exchanging DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION students in the areas of business and His Excellency Cees Kole is the INNOVATION AND SCIENCE education. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Canada. The National Institute of In 2001, the University of Leiden Nanotechnology and the University of implemented the University of Mr. James Lambert is the Canadian Alberta signed a Memorandum of Calgary’s medical curriculum. Ambassador
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