Alaska’s export numbers to the Netherlands increased 24 percent in 2005 after a five percent increase the previous year. The growing numbers continue to reflect the role that Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, plays in helping Alaska exports of seafood flow to the European Union. The Port’s storage infrastructure and transportation links to roads and canals are key in sending Alaska seafood to the larger European markets.

Governor Murkowski visited the Netherlands in his April 2006 Europe trade mission and met with Royal Dutch Shell executives in the company’s headquarters in The Hague. Discussions centered around marketing Alaska’s share of natural gas from the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline and around the potential of a coal gasification that would use Beluga coal to generate gas for the important LNG plant on the Kenai Peninsula. A detailed discussion was also held on the development of hydrogen as a clean, sustainable source for power generation in rural areas.