U.S. Food Export to the Netherlands

Chihade International supplies American food products to importers and foodservice distributors in the Netherlands, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in the Netherlands.

Why Netherlands

The Netherlands is the gateway for U.S. food into the European Union. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port at 14.2 million TEU in 2025, and a great deal of what lands there is mixed, repacked or processed and moves on into the rest of the EU.

The U.S. was the tenth-largest supplier of consumer-oriented agricultural products in 2024, at over $1.6 billion. Food retail is worth $58 billion, foodservice $18.3 billion and food processing $133 billion. Retail is consolidated, with the top three chains holding around 69% across 6,130 stores. Best prospects include wine, liqueurs, sugar confectionery, pistachios and chocolate.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in the Netherlands — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• Dutch-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

The Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA) is the competent authority. Consignments require prior notification through the electronic CHED system, which registers them automatically in TRACES.

A word on meat, because it is where most U.S. exporters get this wrong. The restriction is on the treatment, not on American origin. Beef enters legally provided the cattle are certified under the USDA Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) programme, with segregation at slaughter and an EU-approved establishment. Pork must move under the FSIS Pork for the EU (PFEU) programme, since ractopamine is not permitted. Poultry is the genuine problem: the pathogen-reduction treatments used by essentially all U.S. processors are not approved, so U.S. poultry does not form part of our programme here. Beef, dairy, grocery and foodservice lines are unaffected.

The EU’s country-specific duty-free quota for U.S. high-quality beef reaches its full 35,000 tonnes in 2026.

Labelling must be in Dutch — all label information, and it must be available online as well. USDA puts it plainly: a standard U.S. label fails to comply with EU requirements and products need relabelling. Where the food business operator is not established in the EU, the label must carry the importer’s name and address, and the customs declarant must be EU-established.

Rotterdam is the primary gateway, with Amsterdam fourth-largest in Europe. Schiphol handles air freight.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in the Netherlands?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside the Netherlands. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Why is the Netherlands a good place to start in Europe?

Because Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and functions as the entry point for U.S. ingredients into the wider EU, much of it re-exported after mixing, repacking or processing. A Dutch partnership frequently reaches well beyond the domestic market.

Does the label really have to be in Dutch?

Yes — all label information must be in Dutch and must also be available online. We apply compliant Dutch labelling in Georgia before shipment rather than leaving it to be corrected at destination.

Can you supply U.S. beef and pork?

Yes, within the EU rules: beef from cattle certified under the USDA Non-Hormone Treated Cattle programme, and pork under the FSIS Pork for the EU programme. U.S. poultry sits outside this programme, for the reasons set out above.

How We Work With Partners in the Netherlands

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in the Netherlands.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Export documentation, in plain English  ·  Cold chain for food exports  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in the Netherlands

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.