My friend will begin business in the Netherlands this year. So we want to know something about Netherlands. Waitting for your feedback. Thanks very much. I live in shenzhen, china.

Hi Mike W Liu,


What do you want to know about Netherlands?


About the tourist view point, or businessman view, or even as a employee view point?


I have some experiences with Dutch companies, some big companies are extremely big hearted and generous, but for small companies, if they invite you for dinner at "Indonesian restaurants" where they serve Mixed Vegetable Curry or "Sayo Lode" or "Gado Gado" you have to be prepared to go "dutch", meaning paying for the host's and he (the Durtch MD) will wait for you to ask for the bill.


However, there were big company like the manufacturer of ship board equipment to monitor the ballast water discharge, the viscosity of Heavy Fuel Oil on the fly, and a Positive Displacement Flowmeter, was very generous. They brought the entire International Distributors team for dinner, a river cruise, some night entertainment, and to wine distillers and cheese processors, same time giving each participant a free sample of cheese and wine to take home.


The culture is very much North European, the integrity level is high, and their key industry were the oil and gas and shipping industry. As Amsterdam was world No. 1 sea port, and the Dutch SHELL Oil company is one of the biggest Petroleum company worldwide. Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch until her independence after the Japanese invasion and surrender. That is why there are many Indonesians in Netherlands.


Geographically, Rotterdam, has a land of many distributing river delta. Rich and fertile soil washed down by the Rotte river from Belgium and Germany towards Southern part of the coast to the North Sea.


Judicially, Holland holds International justice and has the authority to preside over issues involving countries around the world. The Hague is the city of International Justice, and the Schipol airport is in teh capital city of Amsterdam. Rotterdam is the second largest city, full of industries and commerce and has been the birth room of many ships new buildings in the past era . This is now shifted to South Korea, Japan and China and to Turkey and Brazil.



SS