Importing From India to the Netherlands

Home › India › Trade › EU › Netherlands

Between 2021 and September 2026 the Netherlands raised 288 EU food alerts on Indian goods, more than any other country in Europe, and 70 of them name one product - groundnuts, almost always for aflatoxin (our count of RASFF Window (opens in a new tab), to 23 September 2026). The latest, in August 2026, was aflatoxin B1 in hand-picked groundnuts (RASFF 2026.7678 (opens in a new tab)). Is Dutch food unusually strict? Not really. It's where the boxes land.

That's the thing to understand about the Netherlands. It's India's fourth-largest export market in the world, and a good share of that cargo carries on to buyers elsewhere in Europe. So this page is for Dutch importers and for anyone clearing at Rotterdam. It covers the VAT deferral, the Dutch label, what Rotterdam's controls stop, and the service from India that the bloc page doesn't cover.

Last researched 28 September 2026 · Next review 24 October 2026 · Written by SourcingFrom

Duty is the same in every member state, so it's on the EU bloc page.

1. Rotterdam Is Where Indian Food Gets Checked

The Dutch file on Indian food reads like a list of what the EU tests at first entry - aflatoxin in groundnuts, pesticide residues and ethylene oxide in rice, sesame and cumin. If your food product is going to fail an EU check, the odds say it'll fail in Rotterdam, whoever the final buyer is.

Veterinary controls count too. In July 2026 an Indian consignment of chocolate sweets was flagged for skipping the veterinary check at the Rotterdam border control post (RASFF 2026.6794 (opens in a new tab)). Some composite foods containing dairy need that check, and a supplier that ships them like plain confectionery puts your whole container at risk. Test plans by product are on Quality control.

2. VAT and the Article 23 Licence

Import VAT is charged at the Dutch standard rate of 21% (Your Europe, VAT rates (opens in a new tab), checked by the Commission 13 July 2026).

The Dutch advantage is the Article 23 licence. It lets a registered importer account for import VAT in the VAT return instead of paying it at the border. A business established in the Netherlands applies for it itself, while a foreign importer can't apply directly and uses a fiscal representative who holds one (Belastingdienst, reverse-charge mechanism on import, Article 23 (opens in a new tab)). It's a big part of why so much Asian cargo clears here, and if you import regularly it's worth asking your broker about.

The textile label must be in Dutch. The government's business portal says labels are in the language of the country where the product is sold (Ondernemersplein, rules for clothing labels (opens in a new tab)).

3. The Service From India

Customs is Dutch Customs (Douane) (opens in a new tab). The direct Rotterdam transits from Chennai, Nhava Sheva and Mundra are on the EU bloc page. One thing it doesn't say - from Pipavav, cargo relays through Cochin, Colombo or Mundra and took 38 to 64 days on the schedules we read in September 2026 (carrier schedule, Indicative). If your supplier is in Saurashtra and quotes Pipavav, ask for the relay port and plan on the long end.

4. Dutch Brands, Indian Makers

Dutch white-label brands are an established route for Indian goods. One incense buyer noted in 2026 that a brand he bought was a Netherlands-based white-labeller whose sticks were made by an Indian maker (r/Incense, 2026 (opens in a new tab), one voice). That's normal business and nothing to be wary of. But if you're building your own label, the same Indian makers will usually sell to you direct.

Next Step

EU duty and product rules are on the EU bloc page. Every Indian agreement is on India's trade agreements.