Rotterdam port chief warns about Dutch investment climate

The head of Rotterdam’s port authority is the latest captain of Dutch industry to warn about the deterioration in the investment climate in the Netherlands and the impact on the Netherlands’ competitive position. 

Boudewijn Siemons, who has just taken over as chief executive, called on the government to pursue an “active and supportive policy” at the presentation of the port’s annual figures.

Siemons follows the chiefs of ASML, AkzoNobel and DSM-Firmenich in expressing his concern about developments. The port is home to one of the biggest chemicals clusters in Europe.

Siemons said the government needs to ensure sufficient capacity on the electricity grid, a powerful strategy to deal with nitrogen-based pollution and to ensure sufficient, well-trained technical staff. 

“I am talking expressly about the investment climate, not just the climate for attracting new business,” he is quoted as saying by the Financieele Dagblad. “It is of great importance to keep our existing industry.”

Most of the companies based in the port are in foreign hands and their headquarters abroad have to decide whether to invest in the energy transition here or somewhere else, he said. An additional problem, he said, are high energy prices in the Netherlands.

Europe can only remain autonomous with strong industry, he said. “We need to keep the base chemicals industry here,” he said. “Their products are the raw materials for the production of many other goods.”

Rotterdam port throughput was down 6.1% last year, because of the decline in world trade, geopolitical tensions and the economic downturn. “The port reflects the global economy and in that sense it was a difficult year,” Siemons said.