Atlanta Home to New Dutch Consulate General
Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO
Thursday, July 5th, 2018
The Netherlands will open a consulate general in Atlanta to strengthen the economic ties between Georgia and the surrounding states, and the Netherlands. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the plans for the new diplomatic post during his official visit with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. on July 2. The consulate will service Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia.
“The economic ties between the Netherlands and the United States are strong. Atlanta is a natural home for a new Dutch representation to further strengthen our partnership with the US. Atlanta is in many ways a gateway to the United States, while the Netherlands is a gateway to Europe. And much like Atlanta, the Netherlands is a hub for smart logistics, financial technology, and cybersecurity,” said Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
Atlanta and the Netherlands already enjoy a strong economic relationship. Atlanta-based companies, like Coca-Cola Enterprises and UPS, have offices in the Netherlands. And Dutch businesses, like KLM and VanderLande Industries, thrive in the Atlanta area.
Through the centuries, the Netherlands and US economic partnership has created jobs, sound investments, and promising opportunities. The Netherlands is a fixture in the top five of the largest foreign investors in the United States, and maintains its place as the No. 1 destination for American investments. The US has a $30 billion trade surplus with the Netherlands, as it exports $59.3 billion to the Netherlands and imports $29 billion from the Netherlands. Top US exporters to the Netherlands include Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois and Washington.
Trade and investments between the Netherlands and the five states that fall within the Atlanta Consulate General support an estimated 80,000 American jobs. Exports to the Netherlands is $3.7 billion.
| State | US jobs supported by | Exports to NL | FDI | |||||||||
| NL-US trade & investment | ||||||||||||
| Georgia | 29,000 | $1 billion | $1.6 billion | |||||||||
| Tennessee | 19,000 | $1.25 billion | $727 million | |||||||||
| North Carolina | 16,000 | $930 million | $1.75 billion | |||||||||
| South Carolina | 8,000 | $302 million | $908 million | |||||||||
| Alabama | 7,700 | $212 million | $700 million | |||||||||
A date for the opening of the Atlanta Consulate General has not been set. The Netherlands also has consulates general in Chicago, New York, Miami, and San Francisco, as well as an embassy in Washington, D.C.
