📊 Logistics Insights from Dutch Industry: Mapping Production and Transport at the Local Level
The Netherlands plays a central role in European and global supply chains. Yet behind the well-known gateway functions of Rotterdam and Schiphol lies a deeper story: regional production ecosystems and distinct transport corridors that vary by location, product, and tradelane.
Using a combination of large-scale data recognition and AI-driven mapping, Geobirds uncovers unique insights into the Dutch logistics landscape. We map both physical production and distribution locations and the international transport flows they generate — broken down by region and modality.
Here’s a deep dive into the most notable patterns.
🏭 Where Dutch Production Happens — and What That Means for Transport
Across the Netherlands, production locations are unevenly distributed. Some provinces host specialized industries, while others serve as logistical backbones. The following patterns emerge when looking at the regional distribution of production sites across key product categories:
Noord-Brabant leads in the number of production sites for machinery, building materials, consumer goods, electronics, and packaging — making it a true industrial heartland.
Zuid-Holland has a dominant presence in floriculture, chemicals, and food production — driven in part by its proximity to ports and auctions.
Noord-Holland is strong in pharma, fashion, and consumer goods, with a more service- and innovation-driven profile.
Gelderland plays a supporting role in sectors like metalworking, building materials, and machinery.
Limburg comes forward as one of the top regions in the chemicals industry, whilst Friesland shows a significant factor in metalworking.
Each of these industrial clusters generates its own transport needs — and as the next section shows, those patterns are deeply connected to where goods move and how.
🚛 Road Freight: International Corridors from the Netherlands
International road transport is a cornerstone of Dutch logistics, connecting regional production and distribution hubs with European markets. The data reveals distinct corridor patterns, where specific Dutch provinces consistently serve as key origin points, depending on the destination.
Below is a ranking of the main European road tradelanes, from most to least active, based on volume — including the top 3 contributing Dutch provinces per tradelane and the type of freight typically associated with each route.
🇩🇪 DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
The most prominent international tradelane, driven by tight industrial linkages and automotive supply chains.
Top provinces:
Noord-Brabant
Zuid-Holland
Gelderland
These regions handle high-frequency deliveries of components, machinery, and consumer goods into central Europe.
🇫🇷 France
A vital corridor for food, packaging, and retail products — both outbound and inbound.
Top provinces:
Noord-Brabant
Zuid-Holland
Gelderland
Strong flows reflect dense commercial ties between Dutch agri-food clusters and French consumer markets.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Still a major destination despite increased complexity post-Brexit, with volumes in e-commerce, perishables, and manufacturing goods.
Top provinces:
Noord-Holland
Noord-Brabant
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Holland’s strong position likely relates to proximity to ferry terminals and air freight consolidation.
🇸🇪 Scandinavia
Serving Denmark, Sweden, and Norway with flows of technical goods, packaging, and food.
Top provinces:
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Brabant
Gelderland
These regions support both direct long-haul lanes and short-sea combinations through northern Germany.
🇪🇸 Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
A corridor influenced by seasonality, notably in produce, fashion, and automotive flows.
Top provinces:
Noord-Brabant
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Holland
Long-haul connections from Dutch consolidation hubs to southern Europe are common.
🇮🇹 Italy
Typically associated with machinery, furniture, and fashion.
Top provinces:
Noord-Brabant
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Holland
Italy-bound flows often return with consumer goods or subcontracted industrial goods.
🇵🇱 Poland & Baltics
Includes Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — regions tied to manufacturing inputs and nearshoring.
Top provinces:
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Brabant
Noord-Holland
🇨🇿 Eastern Europe
Covering additional Central and Eastern European countries, including Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Top provinces:
Zuid-Holland
Noord-Brabant
Noord-Holland
These flows often support subcontracted production networks and regional distribution centers.
👉 Insight: The structure of international road transport corridors is deeply tied to regional specialization. Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland emerge as leading provinces across nearly all tradelanes, underlining their role as multi-purpose logistics launchpads. Meanwhile, Noord-Holland and Gelderland take on a strategic role in specific lanes.
✈️ Air Freight: Intercontinental Flows with Local Footprints
Air freight plays a critical role in time-sensitive, high-value logistics. While volumes are lower than road or ocean freight, the data reveals consistent patterns in local geographic concentration per tradelane.
Tradelanes ranked in terms of activity and top Dutch region:
Import from Asia (FEWB)
Largest activity is centered in Zuid-HollandExport to North America (TAWB)
Top region is Zuid-Holland
Import from North America (TAEB)
Primarily linked to Noord-HollandExport to Asia (FEEB)
Concentrated in Noord-Holland
🚢 Ocean Freight: Tradelanes and Regional Gateways
Ocean freight is dominated by well-established port and hinterland connections. The top regions per tradelane show a consistent division of roles — between coastal handling and inland logistics.
Tradelanes ranked in terms of activity and top Dutch region:
Import from Asia (FEWB)
High activity in Zuid-HollandExport to North America (TAWB)
Top region is Zuid-Holland
Import from North America (TAEB)
Leading activity in Zuid-HollandExport to Asia (FEEB)
Top region is Noord-Brabant
👉 Insight: The top-ranking regions reflect both port access and strong inland connectivity. Knowing which provinces are most linked to each tradelane helps logistics providers align their network and sales efforts with actual demand corridors.
📍 Province-Specific Insights: Mapping Production and Distribution Strengths
A detailed local perspective reveals how Dutch provinces specialize not only in production but also in distribution of key product categories. Understanding these combined regional profiles helps logistics providers optimize their network strategies in line with actual market flows.
Overijssel
Top categories in production and distribution: Consumer Goods, Machinery, Food & Beverage
Overijssel features a balanced ecosystem supporting both manufacturing and distribution of consumer goods, machinery, and food & beverage products.
Zuid-Holland
Top categories in production and distribution: Floriculture, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods
Zuid-Holland’s role as a major logistics hub is reflected in its strong presence across floriculture, food & beverage, and consumer goods sectors.
Utrecht
Top categories in production and distribution: Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Building Materials
Utrecht combines significant food & beverage and consumer goods activity with important building materials distribution.
Noord-Holland
Top categories in production and distribution: Floriculture, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods
Noord-Holland stands out for its floriculture and food & beverage industries alongside consumer goods, driven by both production and logistics operations.
Noord-Brabant
Top categories in production and distribution: Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Machinery
Noord-Brabant’s industrial strength spans both manufacturing and distribution of machinery, food & beverage, and consumer goods.
Limburg
Top categories in production and distribution: Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage, Machinery
Limburg supports diverse flows in consumer goods, machinery, and food & beverage across production and distribution sites.
Groningen
Top categories in production and distribution: Building Materials, Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods
Groningen is known for its building materials sector, with active food & beverage and consumer goods production and distribution.
Gelderland
Top categories in production and distribution: Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Automotive & Naval
Gelderland complements food & beverage and consumer goods with automotive and naval sectors in both production and distribution roles.
Friesland
Top categories in production and distribution: Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Machinery
Friesland’s manufacturing and logistics activities focus on food & beverage, consumer goods, and machinery.
Flevoland
Top categories in production and distribution: Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage, Machinery
Flevoland supports a diversified mix of consumer goods, food & beverage, and machinery production and distribution.
Drenthe
Top categories in production and distribution: Food & Beverage, Machinery, Packaging
Drenthe stands out with packaging, food & beverage, and machinery in its combined production and distribution footprint.
This dual focus on production and distribution across provinces provides a clearer picture of where goods originate and flow — enabling smarter logistics decisions aligned with regional realities throughout the Netherlands.
🧭 Why Local Logistics Geography Matters
Understanding where goods are produced, distributed, and moved — not just by country, but by local region and tradelane — is essential to build smarter transport networks. With congestion, sustainability targets, and margin pressure rising, local alignment is the next frontier in freight intelligence.
Whether you’re operating trucks to the DACH region, flying freight to the U.S., or distributing containers inland from Rotterdam, chances are your flows pass through the same corridors uncovered here.
Want to see how your service profile matches these patterns? Contact us to learn how
Geobirds helps you pinpoint the right shippers — and the right regions — to grow your business in sync with real transport demand.