Relationship dossier
Kingdom of the Netherlands
United States
Relationship assessment
A close NATO and security partnership, alongside trade and policy disagreements
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward United States
+75The Dutch government has supported the transatlantic security partnership through NATO and contributed forces to international missions in Afghanistan alongside the United States. The Netherlands also cooperates with the United States on defense and security matters, while sometimes differing over trade and semiconductor export policy.
United States toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
+75The United States has worked with the Netherlands through NATO and sustained defense and security cooperation, and has supported European reconstruction and security cooperation since the Second World War. U.S. trade and technology policies, including restrictions affecting semiconductor exports, have also been sources of Dutch concern.
Overall relationship
+75The enduring relationship is a close strategic partnership built on NATO membership, defense cooperation, and collaboration in international security missions. Trade and technology-policy disagreements create friction but have not displaced the broader partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Netherlands and the United States maintain a close, durable partnership grounded in NATO and extensive defense and security cooperation. Dutch forces have contributed to international missions alongside the United States, including in Afghanistan, while the countries also cooperate through trade and diplomacy. Their policies have not always aligned, including over trade measures and restrictions affecting semiconductor exports, but these disputes coexist with sustained strategic cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Differences over trade measures and tariffs
- Dutch concerns about U.S. restrictions affecting semiconductor exports
Key developments
The Netherlands and the United States became founding members of NATO, establishing a durable framework for their security partnership.
Dutch forces contributed to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, including deployment to Uruzgan province.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral intelligence and defense cooperation are not fully clear.
- The extent to which trade and semiconductor policy disagreements affect broader cooperation is uncertain.