Table of contentsPage

1 Matching Profile 21.1 TheTrade Environment 21.2 The Seafood Sector 31.3 ConsumerTrends 81.4 UK Share and Export Opportunities 9

2 Doing Business Profile 102.1 The Supply Structure 102.2 The Retail Channel 112.3 The Foodservice Channel 132.4 Key Regulations andTariffs 152.5 Tips and Useful Links 16

Seafood Export Profiles

NETHERLANDS

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 2

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.1 THETRADE ENVIRONMENT

• Dutch economic growth in 2007 cameto 3.5%.This is the highest growth ratesince 2000.The expectation for 2008 isgrowth of 1.9%. In 2006 economicgrowth was 3%.Again in 2007 exportscontributed most to economic growth,but fixed capital formation andconsumption also played an importantpart.The construction industry andcommercial services showed aboveaverage production growth rates.Expectation for 2008 is positive for thefood and beverage sector. Nationalproduction and export will show afurther growth.

• The Netherlands is among the richestcountries of the European Union.Thegross domestic product per capita wasthe third highest in the EU in 2006,only surpassed by Luxembourg andIreland.The average income in theNetherlands was 25% higher than theoverall EU average.

• The number of households hasincreased by more than 600,000 in thespace of ten years. Single householdswere responsible for a large part of thisincrease: their number increased by380,000 to over 2.5 million.The numberof couples without children rose to 2.1million.This number is now the same asthe number of couples with children.The number of single-parent householdsis still growing (460,000).

• Immigration is still growing.This ismainly attributable to an increase inimmigrants from the new EU memberstates.Over the same period immigrationfromTurkey and Morocco has declined.

• The turnover of the Dutch retail sectorgrew 3.7% in 2007, versus growth of5.3% in 2006.Volume sales increasedby 2.4% in 2007 and prices were 1.3%higher.Turnover rose in both the foodand the non-food sectors.The growthin non-food slowed down in the lastmonths of 2007.Within the retailsector, internet retailers realised thehighest increase in turnover.

Sources: www.cbs.nl

Fast facts Source: Euromonitor International

Population 16.3 million

Land area 41,543 sq km

Inhabitants per sq km 482

No. of households 7.2 million

Capital Amsterdam

Other main cities Rotterdam,The Hague, Utrecht

Languages Dutch

Religion Christian

Currency Euro (€)Exchange rate (2006) €/£ = 1.45Total GDP (2006) £364 billion

Real GDP growth rate (2006) 3.0%

GDP per capita (2006) £22,305.61

Inflation (2006) 1.14%

Unemployment rate (2006) 5.2%

International status Member of the EU

Government type Constitutional monarchy

Total food and drink imports €26.5 billionTotal food and drink exports €44.3 billionTop 3 import countries Germany (20%); Belgium (11%); USA (8%)

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 3

• The total production value of theDutch fish and seafood sector was€486 million, including revenue of€438 million generated by the Dutchfishing fleet (slightly lower than theprevious year) and €48 million fromthe fish farming sector.

• Over the years the Dutch fishingindustry has won a major position onthe international market.The nationalfleet lands a quarter of all fish in theDutch market.The remaining threequarters are imports. 75% of all fish (byvolume) is sold abroad which makesthe Netherlands one of Europe’s fewnet exporters, countries whose fishexports exceed their imports.

• Imports of fish are currently some€1.6 billion (+23% in value and +15%in volume), whereas exports, goingmostly to European countries (+5%compared to 2005), generate almost€2.3 billion. Export volumesdecreased by 6% to just fewer thanone million tonnes. Frozen fishaccounted for the great majority of thevolume (70%); fresh and chilled fishaccounted for just 6%.The exportvalue of frozen fish amounted to 45%of the total; fresh and chilled fishaccounted for 15%. Belgium, Germany,Italy, Spain and France remain themajor export markets for Dutch fish,and jointly account for 67% of thetotal value of exports.

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

Figure 1: The Dutch supply chain volume and value in 2006

CUTTERFLEETS77,000

TONNES€256M

HIGH-SEAFISHINGFLEET378,000TONNES€125M

MUSSELFARMING

30,000TONNES€49M

(DUTCH) PRODUCTIONAPPR. 500,000TONNES

€486M

IMPORT776,000TONNES

€1.6B

TOTAL SUPPLY1,276TONNES

€2.09B

EXPORT958,000TONNES

€2.28B

AQUA-CULTURE

11,000TONNES€48M

OTHERS€8M

Source: LEI, 2006

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 4

• In volume, the market grew by 5%compared to 2005, towards 55,000tonnes. Salmon, shrimps and frozen fishdid especially well. Prices increased upto 13% in 2006.

• Growth is due to more householdsbuying seafood and a higher volumeper buyer.The health aspects andthe increased knowledge of thepreparation of seafood are themotives behind the increase inseafood consumption.

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

Figure 2: Dutch seafood household consumption, 2006

Chart 1: Household consumption of total seafood

Householdconsumptionofseafood/'000skg

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Source: NederlandsVisbureau

HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION55,000 X 1,000KG

€477M

CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA7.5KG PER FAMILY

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 5

• The market share of fresh crustaceansand shellfish is decreasing (caused by aconstant purchase frequency but adecreasing volume per buyer) incomparison to fresh fish. Inexpenditure terms, the market sharestayed nearly at the same level.Theprice increase in the crustaceans andshellfish market was the highest(+35% price increase), and was mostapplicable for mussels (+56%)

• Household purchasing of frozen fish isstable. Consumers buy morefrequently and are more loyal tofrozen fish.As a result of the priceincrease of fresh crustaceans andshellfish, the consumer now oftenchooses the frozen variant.

• Overall, the value of top ten fishspecies has been decreasing since2004 but the most common fish is stillDover sole, accounting for 36% of thetop ten species landed in theNetherlands.

• Shrimps showed a significant growth in2006 compared to 2005. However, thisis a return to previous years since thevalue is now at the 2004 levels, butnot back to 2003 levels when turnoverwas €27.1 million.

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

Chart 2: Volume sharesin seafood, 2006

Table 1: Top 10 species landed in the Netherlands 2005-2006

Source: ProductschapVis

20%

44%

36%

Fresh

Frozen

Conserved

Source: NederlandsVisbureau

Rank Species2005(€m)

2006(€m)

% Chg05/06

Price per kgDutch auction (€)

1 Dover sole 135.3 126.5 -7% 12.7

2 Plaice 85.0 89.1 5% 2.1

3 Mussels 55.8 49.1 -12% 1.5

4 Turbot 25.0 24,7 -1% 10.4

5 Shrimp 15.3 20.5 34% 2.9

6 Cod 16.2 17.1 6% 2.5

7 Brill 8.3 8.4 1% 8.4

8 Dab 7.5 6.7 -11% 0.9

9 Lemon sole 4.8 5.6 17% 4.4

10 Whiting 2.4 2.6 8% 1.2

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 6

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

Table 2: Top 10 species consumed by volume in 2007

Ranking2005

Ranking2006

Ranking2007

Species Index 2006 Index 2007

3 2 1 Tuna/bonito (canned) 119 102

1 1 2 Pollack (frozen) 95 92

4 5 3 Fish sticks (frozen) 100 103

5 4 4 Salmon (frozen) 102 97

6 6 5 Herring (salted) 102 98

2 3 6 Herring (in a jar) 89 87

9 8 7 Salmon (smoked) 112 100

24 18 8 Pangasius/panga (frozen) 188 223

7 7 9 Cod (frozen) 119 85

10 9 10 Salmon (natural) 115 102

AandeelTop 10 van 2005: 46.9%AandeelTop 10 van 2006: 47.5%AandeelTop 10 van 2007: 46.8%

Source: NederlandsVisbureau / Gkf Panel Service 2007

Seafood Export Profiles PORTUGAL 7

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.2 THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

Table 3: Key Dutch ports by volume and value landed

Rank Name2005

(tonnes)2006

(tonnes)% Chg05/06

2005(€'000s)

2006(€'000s)

% Chg05/06

Website

1 Yerseke 59,661 31,261 -48% 56 49 -13% www.shipdata.nl

2 Urk 36,676 36,163 -1% 109 110 1% www.urk.nl

3 Harlingen 12,393 11,531 -7% 37 33 -11% www.harlingen.nl

4 Lauwersoog 6,689 8,286 24% 14 19 36% www.visafslaglauwersoog.com

5 IJmuiden 10,486 9,221 -12% 39 37 -5% ww.amports.nl

6 Den Helder 8,077 7,537 -7% 34 33 -3% www.havendenhelder.nl

7 Stellendam 6,497 6,100 -6% 27 26 -4% www.unitedfishauctions.com

8 Vlissingen 6,542 5,942 -9% 28 28 0% www.zeeland-seaports.com

9 Schevingen 3,861 3,887 1% 14 17 21% www.unitedfishauctions.com

10 Den Oever 3,645 4,304 18% 12 14 17% www.visafslag-denhelder.nl

Source: ProductschapVis

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 8

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.3 CONSUMERTRENDS

• Dutch seafood consumption is stillgrowing (in 2000: 5.9kg per familyand in 2006 7.5kg per family, which isan increase of 27.1%). On average,consumers bought seafood 18 timesin 2006 or once every two and ahalf weeks.

• More than 50% of seafood customersare aged over 55 (consuming anaverage of 10kg of seafood in 2006)but there is also a strong increase inconsumption among consumers under35 years old.

• In 2006, 55% of seafood purchasedwas bought in supermarkets,compared to 40% in seafood shopsand market stalls.

• Specialised seafood shops are trying tocompete against supermarkets byoffering more meals, speciality products,catering services and the option forconsumers to eat in their premises.

• Seafood is mainly eaten as the maindish of a meal and tends to beprepared in the oven.

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 9

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE1.4 UK SHARE AND EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

• Gaps in the market and opportunitiesfor UK suppliers can be found in theNetherlands if a supplier can offereither organic, added value and/orsustainable seafood. Examples ofadded value products are oven readyproducts that at the moment only areseen at the largest retail chain (AlbertHeijn) but other retailers will follow.Other possibilities for added value,high-end premium products arecrustaceans such as lobster and crabin retail packs.

• Sustainability is a hot issue in theNetherlands and almost a conditionto introducing new seafood productson to the market. Retailers arepressurized by consumer groups tofollow sustainability guidelines.Innovative retailer Albert Heijn isworking on its own specialsustainability trademark for their ownlabel products, including seafood.

• Opportunities on a per species basiscannot be specified since price changeshave a large effect on seafood boughtby the industry and consumers. Mostcommon seafood species like salmon,cod and shrimps have potential in theDutch retail and foodservice market.More important than the species is toadd value to the product and to havegood sustainability credentials.

Table 4: Top countries importing into the Netherlands by value, 2005-2006

Rank Country2005(€m)

2006(€m)

% Chg05/06

1 Germany 266 258 -3%

2 Belgium/Luxembourg 159 170 7%

3 Denmark 166 158 -5%

4 United Kingdom 121 143 18%

5 Other European countries 157 209 33%

6 Outside EU 442 669 51%

Source: CBS

• Both the value and volume of seafood imports increased by a substantial amountbetween 2005 and 2006.The import value increased by 23%, and the volume by15%.A total of 776,000 tonnes of seafood was imported, at a cost of €1.6 billion.

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 10

SECTION 2 DOING BUSINESS PROFILE2.1 THE SUPPLY STRUCTURE

Source: ProductschapVis

KEY LANDINGS

AUCTION

EXPORT

RETAILER/FOODSERVICE

CONSUMER

DUTCH FISHING FLEET INCLUDINGAQUACULTURE FOREIGN FISHING FLEET

PROCESSING INDUSTRY

BUYER

Dutch seafood supply chain

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 11

Auction• Seafood arrives in the Netherlandseither via Dutch fisheries or via import.Both arrive at the key landings portswhere from it goes to the auction.TheNetherlands has 11 auctions locatedaround the Ijsselmeer where freshwater fish are traded.The auctionprovides space to unload and sort thefish and temporarily store it. Auctionfield staff assess the quality of everybatch arriving. Each auction has a hall,known locally as the ‘mijnzaal’, wherethe actual auction takes place.TheDutch fish auctions are equipped withmodern equipment and meet allrequirements with regard totemperature control, hygiene andefficient fish handling. In the future theinternet will be used more to buy fish.

Buyer• Buyers are traders, the processingindustry, wholesalers and largeretailers. Commission-agents buy mostof the time on behalf of the above-mentioned groups.

Processing industry• Fish is often filleted, breaded,preserved or processed in one way oranother before it is offered to theconsumer.The Netherlands hasapproximately 400 companies involvedin such processing and further trading.Large processors have specialcontracts with ship-owners.

• The processing of flat fish, crustaceansand shellfish accounts for the majorpart of turnover. Most companies arelocated in Urk or IJmuiden. Processingherring and other pelagic speciesaccount for 15% of the turnover of theprocessing industry. Most of thecompanies involved in this industry arelocated in Katwijk, Scheveningen andVlaardingen (East coast of theNetherlands).

Within the Netherlands, the following(international) processors have astrong position:

• Kennemervis Group is a Dutchcompany active in the whole ofWestern Europe in processing, tradingand distributing fish and fish products.Kennemervis Group is active in allmarket segments: fish speciality shops,supermarkets, foodservice, wholesaleand retail trade.Web: www.kennemervis.nl

• Fjord Seafood is a leading, integrated,global supplier of value added seafood.The company focuses on customers’and consumers’ needs, quality,innovation and environmentalresponsibility. Fjord Seafood PietersBelgium prepares products for theDutch retail and the foodservicemarkets (eg fresh portion packages,ready-to-eat food and smokedsalmon). Fjord Seafood Sterk in theNetherlands is the company’s specialistin coated products.

2.2 THE RETAIL CHANNEL

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 12

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE2.2 THE RETAIL CHANNEL

Albert Heijn

Market share 29.5% 750 stores;(excluding the 75 storeswhich will be bought overfrom C1000 in near future).

Store and type 100% subsidiary ofof ownership Koninklijke Ahold.

Product range Market leader/innovatorPositioned in the marketas up-market full servicesupermarket with a wideand varied range.

Best practices Strong focus onfresh products.

Consumer High education scale;demographic two person household;

class AB.

Web www.albertheijn.nl

Superunie

Market share 29.5% (main supermarketmembers Plus marketshare of 5.9% and Jumbo4.5%) 1,772 stores.

Store and type Superunie has 16and ownership supermarket members

with regional focus wherethey are very strong.Every member has its owncharacteristics.

Product range Positioned as full servicesupermarket with averagepricing strategy.Members have a wideproduct range.

Buying practices Purchase all goods at thebest price-quality ratio.

Consumer Customer profilesdemographic depend on the member.

Web www.superunie.nlevery member has itsown webpage.

Schuitema (C1000)

Market share 14.5% (451 supermarketsof which approx 75 willbe taken over by AlbertHeijn in near future).

Store type Independentand ownership entrepreneurs.

Product range Market followerPositioned in the marketas full service supermarketwith wide product range.

Consumer Customer profile aredemographic families with children;

class C and D.

Web www.c1000.nl

Aldi

Market share 9% (430 stores).

Store type 100% subsidiary of Aldiand ownership North, Germany.

Product range Positioned as harddiscounter with verysmall assortment andmany upmarket labels.

Best practices Increasing attention forchilled and frozen products.

Buying practices Massive volumes.

Consumer Customer profile aredemographic trendy shoppers; families;

class C and D.

Web www.aldi.nl

Super de Boer

Market share 7.5% (327 stores).

Store type Mainly franchiseand ownership (Casino has part

of shares).

Product range Positioned as full serviceto their shoppers with awide product range.

Consumer Customer profile: highdemographic education scale; two-

person household;class AB.

Web www.superdeboer.nl

Top 5 mainstream retail chains in the Netherlands

• In the Netherlands the share of seafood sales through the specialised fish shops is still relatively high compared to European standards.The specialised shops constituteabout 1800 outlets, half of which are mobile (for instance on markets). However market share of supermarkets has increased in recent years and reached 55% of sales in2006. Seafood shops and market stalls realised 40% of the sales.

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 13

• Spending within the foodservicechannel has been growing over the lastfew years. In 2007, consumers spentaround 35% of their total foodspending (€54.4 million) in thefoodservice sector (€18.9 million),which is a growth of 6% comparedto 2006.

• Growth in this sector has beenrealised with less outlets due toconsolidation.The expectations forthe future are an increase ofinternational formats.

• The trend for organic products whichhas been seen for some years in theretail market is also increasing itsimportance within the foodservicechannel. Furthermore, convenienceis the USP (unique selling point) todistinguish from competitors.Withinrestaurants, demand for healthyproducts is increasing and fish, with itsperceived healthy properties, standsto benefit from this trend.

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE2.3 THE FOODSERVICE CHANNEL

Figure 3: Total Dutch foodservice spend by outlet type, 2007

TOTAL SPENDING FOOD SERVICE (2007) €18.92M

RESTAURANTS€13.58M+7.2%

EDUCATION€0.207M+4.2%

CATERING (CANTEENS)€1.77M+0.6%

INSTITUTIONS(EG HOSPITALS ETC.)

€1.18M +1.2%

CONVENIENCE(ONLY SERVICE STATION)

€1.98M +7.6%

TRANSPORT CATERING€0.198M+7.2%

Source: FSIN

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE2.3 THE FOODSERVICE CHANNEL

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 14

Commercial cateringWithin commercial catering McDonald’sis the market leader followed by somenational suppliers.

Source: FSIN

Key players within social catering are:• Sodexho provides food and hospitalitymanagement services to companies,public agencies, schools, health careinstitutions and retirementcommunities. Sodexo Nederland ispart of Sodexo Alliance France.Web: www.sodexho.com

• Compass Group is a market leader inproviding food and a range of selectedsupport services to customers in theworkplace, schools, hospitals, at leisureor in remote environments.Web: www.compass-group.com

• Avenance is the number three in theEuropean foodservice market.Web: www.avenance.nlWeb: www.avenance.com

• Albron, is the largest independentcaterer of the Netherlands.Web: www.albron.nl

Distribution specialists in seafood forfoodservice channel is:• Schmidt Zeevis belongs to theKennemervis Group.A largeproportion of the seafood productsare supplied to restaurants, caterersand hotels. Quality and value formoney are the hallmarks of SchmidtZeevis. State-of-the-art technology isused in the storage and processing ofproducts.All incoming seafood isscanned and supplied with a barcode,which means that they are traceablethroughout the process.Web: www.schmidtzeevis.nl

• Jan van As is known as a companywhose aim is to deliver optimal serviceand quality.All products are boughtfrom Dutch suppliers.Web: www.janvanas.nl

• SmitVis is one of the fresh partners ofSligro (Dutch retail organisation).Web: www.sligrofoodgroup.nl

Chart 3: Commercial catering sales by outlet by value for 2007

McDonalds Maxeda Servex VanderValk SjoerdKooistra

Burger King HMS Host Center Parcs GoldenTulp De Efteling

€millions

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 15

• Key regulations with regard to seafoodare mentioned in the EU CommonFisheries Policy.Therefore, no specificimport barriers are observed in theNetherlands as long as Europeanregulations are followed. For detailedinformation seewww.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/index

Labelling and packagingrequirements• EU legislation requires that all food,including seafood, must have a labelthat includes the name under whichthe product is sold, the list ofingredients (in descending order ofweight), net quantity of pre-packedfood ingredients in metric unit, date ofminimum durability (except for freshproduce), any special storageconditions or conditions of use(except for fresh produce) and thename of the manufacturer, packer orEU seller (except for non-packed freshproduce). Furthermore, EU regulation2065/2001 specifically outlineslabelling requirements for fishery andaquaculture products.

• All products offered for retail sale inthe EU must be properly labelled withthe following information:

1. Species commercial name;2. Production method used: "caughtin…" for wild fish, "farmed" or"cultivated", for aquacultureproducts;

3. Catch area must be listed: forproducts caught at sea a referenceto areas (FAO zones), for productscaught in freshwater a reference tothe country of origin, for farmedproducts a reference to the countryin which the product undergoes thefinal development stage.

• As from January 2008 onwards, theDutch government will charge apackaging tax.Tax to be paid dependson the amount of packaging used for acertain product. Importers who sell abranded product in the Netherlandswill be charged, when private labelproducts are offered the buyer(retailer) has to pay the tax.

Organic farming• While the EU currently does not havea specific regulation pertaining to‘organic’ seafood, in December 2005the EU Commission adopted aproposal for a new regulationconcerning organic fish farmingproduction.This proposal intends toimprove clarity for both theconsumers and the farmers.Producers of organic food will be ableto choose whether or not to use theEU organic logo.

• Dutch institution SKALL is authorizedto certify manufacturers for organicproducts. SKALL can be comparedwith the Soil Association and followsthe same EU standards andregulations.

Tax on food• The Dutch consumers payVAT on allconsumption goods and services (inDutch this is referred to as BTW).TheDutch market makes a distinctionbetween a highVAT level(19 %) and alowVAT level (6%). The high level ispaid all luxury goods, including alcoholicdrinks.The low level is paid on all foodand drink products, including seafood.

Other legislationAll Dutch retailers use CBL crate androlly system to provide unity in supplyingchilled products to retailer’s depots.

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE2.4 KEY REGULATIONS ANDTARIFFS

Seafood Export Profiles NETHERLANDS 16

• Useful websites:- Web: www.visbureau.nl

- LEI offers its customers a solid basisfor socially and strategicallyjustifiable policy choices.Web: www.lei.nl

- Statistics Netherlands is responsiblefor collecting, processing andpublishing statistics to be used inpractice, by policymakers and forscientific research.Web: www.cbs.nl

- The Dutch Fish Marketing Boardoffers comprehensive informationon all aspects of the Dutch fishingindustry including information onlandings, auctions, importers andexporters.Web: www.dutchfish.nl/uk/

• For further information, contact:

Annemieke BouwmeesterSenior ConsultantFood from Britain the NetherlandsP.O. Box 1283830 AC LeusdenThe NetherlandsTel: +31 33 434 02 50Email: abouwmeester@ffb.nlWeb: www.foodfrombritain.nl

• For further business advice on enteringthe export market, contact:

MarketingSea Fish Industry Authority18 Logie MillLogie Green RoadEdinburghEH7 4HSTel: 0131 558 3331Fax: 0131 558 1442Email: marketinsight@seafish.co.ukWeb: www.seafish.org

SECTION 1 MATCHING PROFILE2.5 TIPS AND USEFUL LINKS