Dutch trade with Israel stagnates
PPP (taken from NIS) - 13.04.2002 02:16
THE HAGUE, Saturday - Dutch trade with Israel is increasingly coming under pressure. According to the latest figures from the Israeli bureau for statistics, imports and exports shrank by 68.7 and 83 million dollars respectively last year.
Netherlands-Israel Chamber of Commerce director H. Timmerman does not expect the EU to impose any economic sanctions against Israel, and predicts that the Dutch government will maintain its opposition to dropping the economic partnership. "Certain powerful lobbying sectors´ interests are too strong for this, particularly those of agriculture and chemicals."
Excluding oil imports, Israel is the Netherlands´ most important trading partner in the Middle East. For Israel, the Netherlands comes sixth, after the US, Belgium (diamonds), Germany, the UK and Hong Kong. Large Dutch investors include Unilever, Philips, TNT Post Group and brewer Heineken, which has a stake in Tempo beers, one of Israel´s largest breweries. Dutch venture capital companies are also getting in there, particularly in the Israeli high-tech market.
According to Timmerman, existing trade relations are being reasonably well maintained. "Businesspeople who know Israel well, including many in the Jewish-Amsterdam corner, brave the dangers. But medium-sized and small business is not currently inclined to form links with Israel."
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