premiere - part 7 - the Exporting Season
How does a Dutch onion become a globe-trotter? Through waterways that connect, exporters who excel, and logistics that are both smart and sustainable. Thanks to centuries of trading spirit and a unique system for certified quality control, the Netherlands became the world’s largest onion exporter. Catch the epic finale of The Fellowship of the Holland Onion in Part 7 – The Export Season.
Water is in the DNA of the Netherlands
For centuries, seas and rivers have been at the heart of Dutch trade and transport. That’s no surprise: no less than 18.5 percent of the country’s surface area consists of water. Even today, this remains a powerful advantage. Of all EU member states, the Netherlands ships the most goods via its inland waterways. In 2024 alone, this accounted for 332 million tons—over 30 percent of all domestic freight. Around 41 million tons of Dutch exports are shipped overseas in containers. Of the 1.3 million tons of Holland Onions exported each year, two-thirds travel by refrigerated container transport across the seas.
The world’s largest onion exporter
The Netherlands has been the leading onion exporter for decades. The Holland Onion Association brings together around 20 trading houses that can jointly prepare up to 50,000 tons of Dutch onions for export every week. This enormous weekly capacity offers customers worldwide a clear advantage: consistent availability and reliable deliveries.
Behind the work of the exporter
Behind the international flow of Holland Onions lies a complex process. Dutch onion exporters constantly monitor global market demand, analyze prices and competition, assess harvest conditions worldwide, and ensure logistics run smoothly. They organize transport to the ports, handle customs formalities, and maintain close contact with buyers across continents. At the same time, they safeguard quality, arrange inspections, manage administration, and keep both buyers and carriers informed every step of the way. Decades of experience translate into fast, reliable delivery, efficient logistics, accurate export documents, and a globally unique system of quality control.
Strict European quality standards
Dutch onions are exported to markets outside the European Union in 70 percent of cases. Every Holland Onion must therefore comply with EU quality regulations. These requirements are laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2430.
Mandatory inspections
The Quality Control Bureau (KCB) plays a key role here. Acting on behalf of Dutch authorities, KCB performs inspections on export shipments to ensure Holland Onions meet EU requirements. For Dutch onions, inspection is always mandatory when exported. KCB is an independent public authority, supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The reliability of its inspections is beyond question: KCB is accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) under NEN-EN-ISO/IEC 17020 (INSPECTION RvA I070). This accreditation confirms that the bureau works independently, impartially, and with the required expertise.
A solid guarantee of quality
Under NVWA oversight, KCB also carries out a meticulously designed phytosanitary inspection program. The Dutch government is internationally obliged to guarantee that plant products meet the phytosanitary requirements of destination countries (the so-called “country requirements”) and are free from harmful organisms. For some destinations, an absolute zero tolerance applies to so-called quarantine organisms. Well-trained inspectors select random packages, take samples, and have them analyzed by independent laboratories. Only when everything is in order can the shipment be released, accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
Such a certificate contains all essential details about the consignment: origin, destination, product description, and inspection results. Depending on the importing country, specific additional notes may be required. The big advantage: the certificate significantly speeds up clearance, since customs authorities abroad can rely on the inspection and certification by Dutch authorities. A KCB stamp is therefore far more than a formality. It is a solid guarantee that Holland Onions comply with both European and international requirements—and can be safely exported outside the EU.
Explosive growth
In the past decade, Dutch onion exports have grown explosively—both in volume and in number of destinations, now over 130 countries. More exports to more destinations automatically drive growth in logistics. For long-distance shipments, refrigerated container transport is the perfect solution. It is cost-efficient while preserving onion quality. And the larger the volume, the more effectively refrigerated containers can be deployed. Thanks to smart reuse of empty containers via the barge concept, thousands of tons of CO₂ emissions are avoided—around 65 percent less compared to earlier practices. Millions of truck kilometers are also saved by storing return containers in regional depots, where processors can collect them before sending them back to these hubs.
Synchromodal: flexible and close by
The Dutch onion chain benefits fully from the country’s well-organized synchromodal container transport network. This offers exporters tremendous flexibility: always the optimal route, as fast as possible, well-conditioned, and at competitive cost. With access points to the network always close at hand, connections to international container ports such as Vlissingen, Antwerp, and Rotterdam are quickly arranged. In these world ports, containers are transferred from barges to ocean carriers, which then set sail to other continents. The result: every export order is on its way to its final destination within a week. That’s exactly why the Netherlands has been the world’s leading onion exporter for years.
Discover the logistics power behind the world’s largest onion export in The Fellowship of the Holland Onion – the Exporting Season. Watch it all here !
