The focus of Hungarian economic diplomacy is to support the country's export activities and to attract foreign investment to Hungary. The Commercial Office of the Hungarian Embassy in the Netherlands is the first point of contact for Hungarian companies interested in entering the Dutch market. We support them on a daily basis. We also encourage Dutch companies to invest in Hungary and provide all necessary assistance for this.
The Netherlands is one of the world's most significant economies, which is confirmed by international rankings: according to the latest data, in 2024 it ranked 8th on the ’Global Innovation Index’, 3rd on the ’EU Innovation Scoreboard 2025’, and 10th on the ’World Competitiveness Index 2025’ competitiveness list. It is also a leader in transparency, ranking 9th on the ’Corruption Perception Index 2024’ anti-corruption list, while it is placed 4th in the world on the ’International Property Rights Index 2024’ ranking concerning the protection of intellectual property rights. In addition to all this, its business culture, digital, and transport infrastructure are also exceptionally developed. The Netherlands is recognised as the world's second-largest exporter of agricultural products and the sixth-largest exporter of goods.
The Netherlands is an important foreign trade partner for Hungary, being the 11th largest trading partner in terms of exports and the 7th largest in terms of imports in 2024, accounting for approximately 4% of Hungary's total foreign trade in goods. According to HCSO (KSH) data, the value of Hungarian exports to the Netherlands increased by 4.6%, reaching 4.89 billion euros in 2024. Dutch exports to Hungary amounted to 7.01 billion euros in 2024.
Based on the latest available MNB (National Bank of Hungary) data (concerning the ultimate investor), the Netherlands was the 12th largest capital investor in Hungary in 2023, with a direct investment stock of 2.7 billion euros (1,046 billion HUF), which reflects high business confidence in the country.
Major Dutch companies in Hungary include: Aalberts integrated piping systems (piping systems), Aalberts surface technologies (coatings, surface treatment), Accell (bicycle manufacturing), Agrifirm (agriculture), AkzoNobel (paint manufacturing), FrieslandCampina (dairy industry), Grow Group (agriculture), Heineken (brewing industry), Hunland (agriculture), Leolux (furniture industry), NN (insurance), Philips (healthcare industry), Randstad (human resources), Shell (oil and gas industry), Signify (lighting technology), Tekoma (metal industry), Unilever (FMCG), Zorge (plastics industry).
Useful links
Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency
Hungarian Export Promotion Agency
Netherlands-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry for Innovation and Culture
Hungarian Central Statistical Office
National Tax and Customs Administration
For further information please contact the Trade Office.