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The Netherlands

By National Minerals Information Center

The Netherlands was the world’s third-ranked producer of sand and gravel (industrial)

Pictured: gravel

Statistics and information on the mining industry in the Netherlands.

Overview

In 2024, the Netherlands was the world’s 3d-ranked producer of sand and gravel (industrial) accounting for 15.7% of global production; 10th-ranked producer of cadmium accounting for 2.6% of global production; 12th-ranked producer of salt accounting for 2.1% of global production; and 14th-ranked producer of ammonia accounting for 1.3% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement; lead; pig iron; sand and gravel (construction); steel (raw and semimanufactured); stone (construction); and zinc. Production of basic metals and metal products in the manufacturing sector contributed 1.15% to the Netherland’s total output in 2024 and the mining and quarrying sector, 0.6%. The country’s major trade partners for mineral-related exports and imports of goods were Germany and Belgium. 

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in the Netherlands is provided by the Mining Act of January 2003, last amended in May 2024; the Mining Decree of January 2003, as amended; and the Mining Regulation of January 2003, as amended. Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen (the State Supervision of Mines, SodM), an agency of the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG), oversees the mineral sector. SodM supervises mineral and energy extraction, ensures compliance with laws and regulations, and monitors human safety and protection of the environment in the country. Most mineral commodities were produced by private companies with foreign ownership registered in Belgium, Germany, India, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, or Switzerland. In 2024, rock salt production increased by 18% to 5.8 million metric tons (Mt) from 4.9 Mt in 2023 owing to increased chlorine demand. Industrial sand and gravel production was an estimated 68 Mt, which was unchanged compared with that in 2023. 

 

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, the Netherlands was the world’s 3d-ranked producer of sand and gravel (industrial) accounting for 15.7% of global production; 10th-ranked producer of cadmium accounting for 2.6% of global production; 12th-ranked producer of salt accounting for 2.1% of global production; and 14th-ranked producer of ammonia accounting for 1.3% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included aluminum (secondary); cement; clay; lead; magnesium; marl; nitric acid; pig iron; sand and gravel; steel (raw and semimanufactured); stone (construction); sulfur; urea; and zinc. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Production of basic metals and metal products in the manufacturing sector contributed 1.15% to the Netherland’s total output in 2024 and the mining and quarrying sector, 0.6%. The country’s major trade partners for mineral-related exports and imports of goods were Germany and Belgium (Statistics Netherlands, 2025, 2026; Brioche, 2026; Callaghan, 2026; Goodin, 2026; MacGregor, 2026).  

The legislative framework for the mineral sector in the Netherlands is provided by the Mining Act of January 2003, last amended in May 2024; the Mining Decree of January 2003, as amended; and the Mining Regulation of January 2003, as amended. Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen (the State Supervision of Mines, SodM), an agency of the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG), oversees the mineral sector. SodM supervises mineral and energy extraction, ensures compliance with laws and regulations, and monitors human safety and protection of the environment in the country. Most mineral commodities were produced by private companies with foreign ownership registered in Belgium, Germany, India, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, or Switzerland. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports — International — Europe and Central Eurasia, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ… (Overheid.nl, 2024a–c; Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen, undated a, b). 

 

Commodity Review 

Salt.—In the Netherlands, rock salt is produced by solution mining of deep subsurface salt. In 2024, rock salt production increased by 18% to 5.8 million metric tons (Mt) from 4.9 Mt in 2023 owing to increased chlorine demand. There were 16 production licenses in force in six salt fields located in the northern and eastern regions of the Netherlands. Nobian Salt B.V. (Nobian), the leading producer of rock salt in the Netherlands, produced about 4.4 Mt, which was approximately 77% of the country’s total salt production from its six active production licenses in the Twenthe-Rijn, Winschoten, and Zuidwending salt fields (Production table; Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, 2025a, c; TNO–Advisory Group for Economic Affairs, 2025, p. 54).  

In March, Nobian received approval of its environmental permit application from KGG for the development of eight salt production wells and the construction of a pipeline network in the Isidorushoeve license near Haaksbergen. In October, a second environmental permit application was approved for the Isidorushoeve license for the project’s associated infrastructure. As of late 2024, development of the Haaksbergen project was underway and the company expected to begin salt production in 2025. In November, Nobian applied for a new salt production license in the Twenthe-Rijn Boekelerveld area and expected a permit to explore, and possibly develop, in mid-2025 (Nobian Salt B.V., 2024a–c; Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, 2025b; TNO–Advisory Group for Economic Affairs, 2025, p. 54). 

Sand and Gravel (Industrial).—The Netherlands produced an estimated 68 Mt of industrial sand and gravel in 2024. Based on Harmonized System 4-digit codes, the country’s leading export partners, by export value, for natural sands and quartzite were Belgium, which accounted for 50.2% of the total exports of natural sand and quartzite; Germany, 23.4%; and France, 7.61%. In 2023, the latest year in which data were available, the country’s industrial sand was produced mainly for coastal and land reclamation, accounting for approximately 97.6% of the country’s total industrial sand production. The remaining 2.4% of industrial sand was consumed mainly by the construction and transportation sectors. Samenwerking Lobberdense Waard B.V. (SLW), a joint venture between Wezendonk Zand & Grind B.V., Niba Zand en Grind B.V., Dekker Grondstoffen B.V., and Van Nieuwpoort Bouwgroundstoffen B.V., continued the development of its Lobberdense Waard Project area in Pannerden along the Rhine River. The project consisted of redeveloping the floodplain by excavating sand and gravel. In October, the construction of a sand and gravel classification facility was completed and the production of sand and gravel commenced. Production of sand and gravel in the Lobberdense Warde Project area was expected to take place in phases over a 10-year period and included the extraction of the overlying clay for the manufacture of bricks (Production table; Samenwerking Lobberdense Waard B.V., 2024; Compendium voor de Leefomgeving, 2025; Trade Data Monitor, 2026; Samenwerking Lobberdense Waard B.V., undated a, b). 

 

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

Table includes data available through December 29, 2025. All data are reported unless otherwise noted. Estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits. In addition to the commodities listed, clay, magnesium compounds, nitric acid, secondary aluminum, sodium compounds, sulfur (as an elemental byproduct of metallurgy and of petroleum and natural gas), urea, and construction materials, such as dolomite and limestone may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.
Commodity 20202021202220232024
Aluminum, primary, metal70,60046,700000
Cadmium, refinery, primary351854574726592
Cement, hydraulic2,980,000e2,500,000e2,500,000e2,500,000e2,500,000e
Lead, refinery, secondary34,000e36,000e36,000e36,000e36,000e
Nitrogen, ammonia, N content2,100,000e2,000,000e1,600,000e1,600,000e2,100,000e
Pig iron5,435,4205,895,0525,513,9884,135,3125,581,173
Raw steel6,054,0006,620,0006,142,9704,676,2526,395,450
Salt, rock salt5,712,0386,121,0005,893,0004,883,1855,768,436
Sand and gravel, construction, unspecified, for concrete and masonry21,310,78020,577,37020,869,32218,004,82518,000,000e
Sand and gravel, industrial, sand66,273,74177,530,29865,494,72768,049,52568,000,000e
Steel products, semimanufactured5,830,0006,342,0005,917,0005,120,0005,987,000
Stone, crushed, marl49,000015,00015,00015,000e
Zinc, smelter, primary250,000e260,000e200,000e250,000e150,000e
e Estimated.

 

References Cited 

  • Brioche, A.S., 2026, Nitrogen (fixed)—Ammonia: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 136–137. 
  • Callaghan, R.M., 2026, Cadmium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 60–61.  
  • Compendium voor de Leefomgeving, 2025, Winning oppervlaktedelfstoffen, 2004–2023 [Extraction of surface minerals, 2004–2023]: Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, and Wageningen University and Research, July 29. (Accessed March 30, 2026, at https://www.clo.nl/indicatoren/nl300002-winning-oppervlaktedelfstoffen-….) [In Dutch.] 
  • Goodin, R.C., 2026, Sand and gravel (industrial): U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 164–165.  
  • MacGregor, JohnRyan, 2026, Salt: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 160–161.  
  • Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, 2025b, Haaksbergen—Zoutwinning Haaksbergen—Publicatie vergunningen [Haaksbergen—Salt extraction in Haaksbergen—Publication of permits]: The Hague, Netherlands, Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. (Accessed December 29, 2025, at https://mijnbouwvergunningen.nl/page/view/0702176b-68e7-4a28-8bf7-78764….) [In Dutch.]  
  • Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, 2025c, Rock salt: The Hague, Netherlands, Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, NLOG Dutch Subsurface Portal. (Accessed December 29, 2025, at https://www.nlog.nl/en/rock-salt-0.) 
  • Nobian Salt B.V., 2024a, Ministerie publiceert definitief besluit voor bouwen zoutwinlocaties Haaksbergen [Ministry publishes final decision for construction of salt extraction sites in Haaksbergen]: Amersfoort, Netherlands, Nobian Salt B.V. press release, October 24. (Accessed December 29, 2025, at https://gebiedsproceshaaksbergen.nl/nieuws/ministerie-publiceert-defini….) [In Dutch.] 
  • Nobian Salt B.V., 2024b, Nobian vraagt een concessie aan voor een beperkte uitbreiding van het bestaande zoutwingebied Twenthe-Rijn Ganzebos [Nobian is applying for a concession for a limited expansion of the existing Twenthe-Rijn Ganzebos salt extraction area]: Amersfoort, Netherlands, Nobian Salt B.V press release, November 8. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://www.nobian.com/nl-nl/zoutwinning/actueel/nobian-vraagt-een-conc….) [In Dutch.] 
  • Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, Trade Data Monitor: Geneva, Switzerland, Trade Data Monitor database. (Accessed March 30, 2026, via https://tradedatamonitor.com/.) 

 

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