News: British and Dutch maritime leaders to meet as UK leaves the EU
- Industry leaders to meet just days after the UK’s formal departure from the EU
- UK delegation to Rotterdam and Amsterdam will discuss future trade relations
- ‘UK-NL Maritime Nations Forum’ will set agenda for collaboration between North Sea neighbours
- Trade between two countries currently stands at £85.8 billion
UK and Dutch business leaders will meet in Rotterdam and Amsterdam next month to discuss future maritime and trade relations following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
The high-level event
takes place days after the UK formally leaves the EU and as work formally
begins on the shape of the UK’s future relationship with the European Union.
Maritime UK and
the Dutch government are hosting the second UK-NL Maritime Nations Forum (25-27 February), which
will see a number of the UK’s world-leading maritime companies visit the major
port city of Rotterdam, in an effort to secure fruitful new deals. Businesses
will also be scoping areas for bilateral maritime collaboration and discussing areas
to prioritise within a UK-EU Free Trade Agreement and broader partnership.
Maritime UK Chair,
Harry Theochari, said:
“Britain is an
island, maritime nation, with 95% of global trade being facilitated by the
maritime sector.
“The Netherlands
is the UK’s third-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market.
“That the
Netherlands is the first country for Maritime UK to visit, just days after our
departure from the EU, helps us to say that whilst we’re leaving the EU, we’re
not leaving Europe, and we’re here to stay.”
“We enjoy a
trading relationship stretching back 400 years. With the UK formally leaving
the EU in a matters of days and government committed to forging an independent
trade policy for the first time in more than four decades, the UK’s maritime
sector is central to securing our future prosperity as well as reaffirming
existing links with established trading partners, including our North Sea
neighbours, the Dutch.
“The Maritime
Nations Forum will see some of the UK’s most innovative businesses meeting
their Dutch counterparts as we explore how the two countries can work together
to respond to the biggest challenges of our time – not least climate change.
“No one country
will come up with the solution to decarbonising maritime, so working across
borders with natural partners is really important.”
Marjolein Bouwers, Chief Innovation Advisor for the Embassy of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands
“The maritime industry faces two main challenges:
digitalisation and energy transition. In both the UK and NL we have excellent
research facilities, funding programmes, a strong maritime industry and similar
policy agendas. There is a great deal of scope to intensify our collaboration
via our research facilities as well as our clusters and continue to be reliable
partners on a world stage.”
Chris Shirling-Rooke, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, said:
“Leaving the EU has seen a significant reappraisal of our role as a global, trading nation. People are much more aware of the critical role maritime plays in our everyday life.
“That our businesses have had to think critically about different, new markets and, indeed, how they can maximise success in established markets, has been no bad thing.
“What’s critical to recognise is that global free trade must mean something to people – and to the regions and nations of the UK. I’m delighted that so many companies from Merseyside and the North West are seizing the opportunity to engage so proactively with our Dutch partners. Increased trade and new deals between our countries will help create jobs and growth back home.”
UK-NL trade stats
- The total UK-Netherlands trading relationship was valued £85.8 billion in 2017 – a 14.4% year-on-year increase.
- Latest UK export figures from the ONS recorded a high value of £637 billion, while the UK is Europe’s number one destination for foreign direct investment.