What Iran Exports to the Netherlands: Top Products by Value
The Netherlands is Iran’s third-largest EU trading partner, with total imports from Iran running around $38.9 million in recent years. Like Italy, the picture here is led by industrial materials, not food — a genuinely different profile from Iran’s trade with Germany.
Iran Exports to the Netherlands: The Real Top 10
1. Iron and steel — $16.3M. By far the largest category, and unaffected by any food-related restrictions — a stable category to build around right now.
2. Inorganic chemicals & precious metal compounds — $5.0M. Industrial-grade materials, unaffected by the food export ban.
3. Animal & vegetable fats and oils — $4.0M. Unaffected by the current restriction.
4. Coffee, tea, mate & spices — $3.3M. This category includes saffron, one of Iran’s best-known exports. Currently affected by Iran’s indefinite export ban on food and agricultural products, in place since March 2026.
5. Edible fruits, nuts & citrus peel — $3.2M. Also currently paused under the same food export restriction.
6. Miscellaneous edible preparations — $934K. Food category, affected by the current ban.
7. Plastics — $845K. Unaffected, a stable industrial category.
8. Miscellaneous chemical products — $771K. Unaffected by the food restriction.
9. Vegetable, fruit & nut food preparations — $654K. Food-related, currently affected by the export ban.
10. Ceramic products — $515K. Unaffected, rounding out the reliable industrial categories.
What This Means for Shipping to the Netherlands Right Now
Iron and steel, inorganic chemicals, fats and oils, plastics, and ceramics are your reliable categories while the food export ban remains in effect — together these make up more than half of the typical trade value with Iran. The food and agricultural categories (spices, fruits, nuts, and food preparations) will pick back up once the restriction lifts, but there’s no confirmed timeline for that yet.
These move through the same route as our other European shipments: trucked to Mersin, Turkey, then by sea toward Rotterdam and other major European ports — Rotterdam being Europe’s largest port and a natural entry point for cargo continuing on to the rest of the Netherlands and neighboring markets.
Get a Route & Quote for Your Product
Documentation and handling requirements vary by product category. Contact HAPCO’s team to confirm what’s currently shippable and get a route plan for your specific cargo.