Asian markets boost foreign investments in Netherlands
The number of foreign investment projects that landed in the Netherlands, with the assistance of the Economic Affairs Ministry, increased by 40 percent last year in comparison to 2006. This resulted in 60 percent more new jobs. The total investment amount was 25 percent higher than in 2006, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) announced yesterday.
In 2007 the NFIA realized 155 projects with a total investment amount of 578 million euros. In due course these projects will create 3,107 new jobs, it said. The new investment projects mostly landed in the provinces Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, Noord-Brabant and Gelderland.
The figures show that projects from Asia account for 60% of the total. In 2003 Asian projects only took up 40%. The Asian projects represent more than half of the new jobs.
The number of projects from India, Korea and China grew most rapidly, followed by Singapore and Japan. This is in line with the bigger acquisition effort made in emerging markets (Asia and the Gulf Region) where the NFIA now has 11 offices, said the NFIA.
The new investment projects came mainly from industries such as information technology, machinery & equipment, electronic components, medical technology and food & nutrition. The majority of the projects was related to marketing & sales, distribution and headquarters operations.
Announcing the results yesterday during the ABN Amro globalisation congress in Rotterdam, Trade State Secretary Frank Heemskerk emphasised that he is convinced that globalisation has a positive effect on an open economies such as the Netherlands. “Support for open borders is decreasing.” Companies, together with the government, have to make an extra effort to broaden this support, he stated.
Source: NIS News, 22 February 2008
