Do I need a licence to produce or export chemical substances?
If your company produces and/or wishes to export chemical substances, you may need to apply for an export licence. In 1997 the Netherlands signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, which aims to impose a worldwide ban on chemical weapons. Companies can therefore only produce and trade in chemicals intended for the civil sector. Chemicals that can also be weaponised (i.e. dual-use substances) are subject to strict regulations.
Export licences for chemical substances
Depending on the product and its final destination, your company may require a licence to export chemical substances. Obligations relating to the trade in chemical substances (link in Dutch) are set out in Customs’ manual on safety, health, the economy and the environment (Handboek VGEM).
Chemical substance notifications
Every year companies are required to submit information (notifications) to Customs’ Central Import and Export Office (CDIU), for example concerning the production, processing and trading of certain chemicals. This requirement applies to substances listed in the Chemical Weapons Convention’s Annex on Chemicals.