Building common ground in a fragmented world

If there is one thing these past two years have confirmed, it is that progress happens when the right people sit around the same table. That is where ICC adds value. Our work connects businesses, law firms, financial institutions, and policymakers, creating space for practical cooperation. Whether on trade law, digital standards, sustainability, or dispute resolution, we act as a bridge, turning technical issues into collective solutions.

The Netherlands has everything it needs to lead in international trade: strong infrastructure, expertise, credibility, and a global outlook. What we must ensure is that regulation and policy do not become barriers but enablers.

Two years in

It has now been two years since I joined ICC Netherlands, two years that went by fast, with a steep learning curve. Working every day at the crossroads of business, policy, and international cooperation gives perspective. I see how much is happening around, and how often the same message comes back from Dutch companies: we want to move forward, but the system is not moving with us in the same speed; or worse, it is holding us back.

Across our commissions and round tables, whether on digitalisation, AI, sustainability, or integrity, the same frustration echoes: the Netherlands risks falling behind. Regulations take too long, pilots stall, and businesses willing to innovate often face uncertainty instead of support. In a country built on trade and ingenuity, we should be leading the way. A touch more confidence in our own ’Made in Holland’, a bit of healthy chauvinism, would not be misplaced. And the message from Europe is anything but clear.

Digital trade: limited progress

One area where progress is increasingly urgent is digital trade. In 2025, relying on paper documents that take five to twenty days to circulate globally is no longer sustainable. The Dutch government’s proposal to recognise electronic bills of lading (eBLs) with the same legal value as their paper counterparts is a positive and welcome step, and ICC Netherlands has been actively support it.

Still, to fully realise the potential of digital trade, we need legal certainty for all types of transferable electronic records, not just eBLs, and full interoperability between systems. Digitalisation is not only about efficiency; it also enhances transparency, strengthens security, and helps reduce opportunities for corruption. Above all, it supports Dutch competitiveness in a world where trade partners, from Singapore to the UK, are already advancing rapidly.

A shifting international landscape

The international context reinforces this urgency. The WTO Director-General recently warned that escalating tariffs are causing “unprecedented disruption” to the global trading system. The re-emergence of trade barriers and the fragmentation of markets are symptoms of a deeper problem: a multilateral system under strain. Yet even in this environment, progress is still possible. The WTO’s long-negotiated Fisheries Subsidies Agreement entered into force last month, a modest but real example of cooperation on trade and sustainability.

At last week’s meeting of ICC’s Global Trade and Investment Commission, one point stood out clearly: instead of focusing on blame, the discussion centred on the structural causes of the WTO’s difficulties. The actions of individual countries, including the United States, are only manifestations of an underlying, long-term breakdown in the system. Years of under-investment in reform and a lack of political momentum have weakened the multilateral framework that global business depends on.

Business representatives also called for a stronger and more consistent business voice within WTO processes, so that the private sector is not merely invited, but genuinely involved.

One encouraging sign is that business engagement at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva has surged. Companies from Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia came together to discuss digital trade and the risks of letting the e-commerce moratorium lapse. As my colleague Jasper van Schaik notes in his article “ICC Netherlands at the WTO Public Forum 2025”, this renewed participation demonstrates that companies seek greater engagement, not withdrawal, and that the business community is prepared to contribute constructively to reform.

In the lead-up to the next WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), ICC is preparing a global “Save the System” letter, to be signed by chambers and associations worldwide, along with a campaign to safeguard the moratorium on digital trade, highlighting its importance for SMEs. These efforts reflect ICC’s broader mission: ensuring that global trade rules remain fair, predictable, and inclusive, and that Dutch businesses are actively represented.

Sustainability and competitiveness

The Dutch debate on sustainability also reflects the same tension between ambition and execution. In September 2025, Tata Steel Nederland signed a non-binding pact with the Dutch government to pursue a low-carbon transition at its IJmuiden plant, with potential public support of up to €2 billion. It is a positive signal, but also a reminder of how complex, and costly, the transition will be, both technically and socially.

As Willemijn Peeters, founding director of Searious Business, recently underlined in her interview for ICC, the Netherlands has “all the right ingredients” to lead in circular innovation, advanced infrastructure, strong consumer awareness, and a collaborative culture, yet it risks losing ground to neighbors who move faster from pilot to practice. Her call for courage and scale applies well beyond plastics: across industries, the same challenge persists.

Meanwhile, experts warn that the Netherlands is unlikely to meet its 2030 climate goals. For businesses, this raises a real concern: how to invest with confidence when the policy environment remains uncertain.

With COP30 approaching, the focus will increasingly turn to connecting climate and trade objectives rather than treating them separately. Companies are ready to contribute, but they need predictable frameworks and clear incentives. That is precisely where ICC’s strength lies, bridging global ambition with practical business reality.