Editing Transport in the Netherlands (section)

==Water transport==
[[Image:Hanjin Capetown IMO 9054224 p1 Port of Rotterdam 21March2009.jpg|thumb|[[Bulk carrier]] in the [[Rotterdam]] port]]
[[Image:Cosco Guangzhou p03 approaching Port of Rotterdam, Holland 19-Apr-2007.jpg|thumb|Container ship approaching Rotterdam port]]

===Ports and harbours===
The Netherlands has thirteen [[seaport]]s,<ref name="NFIA Logistics"/> three of which have international significance. Handling 440 million metric tons of cargo in 2013, the [[port of Rotterdam]] is the biggest [[port]] of Europe – as big as the next three biggest combined, and the eighth largest in the world.<ref name="RPA Stat13"/> The [[Port of Amsterdam|Amsterdam seaport]] is the second in the country, and the fifth largest in Europe.<ref name="RPA Stat13"/> Additionally, since 1998 the ports of [[Vlissingen]] and [[Terneuzen]] are working as one, under the name of [[Zeeland Seaports]].<ref>[[:nl:Haven van Zeeland]]</ref> Handling 34 million metric tons of cargo in 2012, this is now the third biggest Dutch seaport. For comparison: the nearby [[port of London]] handled 44 million tons in that year.<ref name="RPA Stat13"/>

Through the rivers [[Rhine]] and [[Meuse]], [[Rotterdam]] has excellent access to its [[hinterland]] upstream, reaching to [[Germany]], [[France]] and [[Switzerland]]. The port's main activities are [[petrochemical]] industries and general cargo handling and [[transshipment]]. The harbour functions as an important transit point for [[bulk material handling|bulk materials]] and between the European continent and overseas. From Rotterdam goods are transported by ship, river barge, train or road. In 2007, the [[Betuweroute]], a new fast freight railway from Rotterdam to Germany, was completed.

Three Dutch ports are [[List of Panamax ports|deepwater ports]], that can handle fully laden [[Panamax|Panamax ships]]: [[port of Rotterdam|Rotterdam]], Zeeland Seaports and the port of [[IJmuiden]]. Besides Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zeeland, the ports of [[Moerdijk]] and [[Vlaardingen]] also support [[Container ship|container liner]] shipping.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldportsource.com/shipping/country/ports/NLD.php |title=World Port Source - Ports with Liner Service in Netherlands |author=Mark E. Waters |website=www.worldportsource.com |publisher=World Port Source |access-date=16 July 2014}}</ref> Other notable port cities are [[Dordrecht]], [[Haarlem]] and [[Den Helder]], as well as [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]], which controls the seaports of [[Delfzijl]] and [[Eemshaven]]. Den Helder is home to the Netherlands' main [[naval base]].

===Merchant marine===
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2014}}
[[Image:Vaarwegen.PNG|thumb|Waterways in the Netherlands]]
*''Total:'' 563 ships (1,000 GT or over) totaling 4,035,899 GT/{{DWT|4,576,841|metric|disp=long}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maritime vessels statistics |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Maritime_vessels_statistics |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>
*''Ships by type:'' bulk 3, cargo 343, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 2, container 56, liquified gas 20, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 8, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 32, roll-on/roll-off 16, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 5 (1999 est.)

''note:'' many Dutch-owned ships are also operating under the [[ship registry]] of [[Netherlands Antilles]] (1998 est.)

===Inland waters===
6,237&nbsp;km of rivers and canals are navigable for ships of 50 tons.<ref name="CIA Waterways">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2093.html#nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005552/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2093.html#nl |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2007 |title=CIA World Factbook &#124; Field listing: Waterways |date=2012 |website=www.cia.gov |publisher=U.S. Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="CBS Vaarwegen">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/verkeer-vervoer/cijfers/infrastructuur-financieel/71531ned-sl.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140718011048/http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/verkeer-vervoer/cijfers/infrastructuur-financieel/71531ned-sl.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 July 2014 |title=CBS StatLine - Lengte van vaarwegen; vaarwegkenmerken, provincie |language=nl |trans-title=Dutch Statistics Bureau - Waterways and characteristics |date=2013 |website=Statline.cbs.nl |publisher=CBS - Statistics Netherlands |access-date=15 July 2014 }}</ref> Some 3,740&nbsp;km of this consists of canals.<ref name="NFIA Logistics">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfia.com/logistics_infrastructure.html |title=Transportation Infrastructure - Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency |date=c. 2010 |website=www.nfia.com |publisher=Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency |access-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> At least 4,326&nbsp;km of waterways are usable by craft up to 400 metric ton capacity, and over 3,000&nbsp;km are usable by ships up to 1,250 metric ton capacity.<ref name="CBS Vaarwegen"/> Although another source states that all of 6,230&nbsp;km is navigable for craft up to 400 tons, and over 4,000&nbsp;km is usable by ships up to 1,500 metric ton capacity.<ref name="BVB BlueRoad">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The power of inland navigation |url=http://www.binnenvaartadvies.nl/media/item/25/waardevol-transport-brochure-over-toegevoegde-waarde-van-de-binnenvaart-engelse-versie.pdf |location=Rotterdam, the Netherlands |publisher=Dutch Inland Navigation Information Agency (BVB) |page=47 |date=2013 |access-date=11 July 2014}}</ref>

The Dutch [[Inland navigation|inland shipping]] fleet is the biggest in Europe.<ref name="NFIA Seaports">{{cite web |url=http://www.nfia.com/seaports.html |title=Seaports - Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency |date=c. 2010 |website=www.nfia.com |publisher=Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency |access-date=15 July 2014}}</ref> Consisting of some 7,000 vessels, it takes a share of 35% of the national total annual [[freight transport]], and as much as 80% of [[Bulk material handling|bulk transport]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bureauvoorlichtingbinnenvaart.nl/over/cijfers |title=Binnenvaart in Cijfers |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2013 |language=nl |trans-title=Inland water shipping in Numbers |publisher=Bureau Voorlichting Binnenvaart |access-date=11 July 2014}}</ref> Also two thirds of all inland water freight transports within the [[European Union|EU]], and 40% of the EU's inland container shipping, pass through the Netherlands.<ref name="NFIA Seaports"/> All in all the Netherlands has so many waterways that virtually all major industrial areas and population centres can be reached by water via [[inland port]]s (200) and [[transhipment terminal]]s (350).<ref name="BVB BlueRoad"/>