Customs and Business Consultation (het Overleg Douane Bedrijfsleven, ODB)
Netherlands Customs and the business community meet regularly to discuss the challenges regarding international trade. One of our most important tasks is to ensure that supervision and control do not disrupt the flow of trade and logistics unnecessarily. That is why we regularly discuss customs logistics and customs clearance with the business community. This regular gathering is called the Customs and Business Consultation (het Overleg Douane Bedrijfsleven, ODB).
The Netherlands is a country of trade and logistics. About a third of all goods enter the European Union via the Netherlands. In addition, all goods exported by the Netherlands have a combined value of over 700 billion euros every year.
Enforcement and a smooth flow of transport
Finding the best balance possible between enforcement on the one hand, and ensuring a smooth transport flow on the other. That is one of main purposes of our meetings with the industries. In the ODB, we inform the business community about developments regarding sanctions, new legislation or regulations.
At the same time, the industries share their experience regarding these topics. As Netherlands Customs, we value these insights and use them to determine our policy and strategy. The nature of the discussions in the ODB can be best described as open and equal, while jointly strengthening the competitive position of the Netherlands and the EU.
Watch the video about ODB below.