Netherlands Bans Israeli Settlement Goods Imports and Sales from 22 September 2026

The Netherlands has banned importing, buying and selling goods from unlawful Israeli settlements since Sept. 22, 2026.

The Netherlands has banned the import, purchase and sale of goods from unlawful Israeli settlements, with the ban in force since Sept. 22, 2026.

The rule is a temporary sanctions decree, a government order made under the Dutch Sanctions Act 1977¹. Dutch Customs enforces it at the border and asks importers of Israeli goods for a new declaration on every shipment².

In short, goods made in the settlements can no longer be sold in the Netherlands. A shipment from Israel must now carry a code stating that the goods do not come from a settlement, and customs can ask for proof.

What does the Dutch settlement goods decree ban?

The decree was signed on July 13, 2026 and published in the Bulletin of Acts and Decrees, the official gazette for Dutch laws, on July 21, 2026³. It appears there as Staatsblad 2026, 222⁴. Its full name is the Temporary sanctions decree on unlawful settlements in the territories occupied by Israel¹.

The decree sets out five separate bans in its second chapter³. Dutch Customs lists them in plain terms on its information page². From Sept. 22, 2026, no person or company may:

• import settlement goods into Dutch territory
• buy settlement goods, directly or indirectly
• sell or offer settlement goods on the European Union (EU) market
• act as a go-between, by negotiating or arranging deals in these goods
• try to get around any of these bans

The ban on go-between services is wide. It covers deals in which the goods would be imported, bought or sold in another EU country rather than in the Netherlands¹. A Dutch trading company that arranges a sale of settlement goods to a buyer in another EU country can therefore break the rule.

Why did the Dutch government act on settlement goods?

The explanatory note attached to the decree gives the government’s reasons. It states that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights is unlawful, and so are the settlements there³.

The note points to an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of July 19, 2024³. That opinion said United Nations member states must take steps to prevent trade or investment that helps keep the unlawful situation in place. In September 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution ES-10/24, which called on all states to take such steps³.

That resolution gave Israel 12 months to end the occupation. The note says this period ran out on Sept. 18, 2025³. It adds that United Nations figures show settlement building has grown sharply under the current Israeli government³.

The Netherlands first asked for measures at EU level, because trade policy is mainly a matter for the EU³. Before an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Aug. 29 and 30, 2025, the Netherlands and Sweden sent a joint letter with proposals³. The note says there was not enough support in the EU, so the government chose a national ban instead³.

Which goods count as settlement goods?

The decree covers goods that are wholly or partly obtained or produced in an unlawful settlement¹. This means a product with only some settlement content can fall under the ban. Dutch Customs makes the same point: supporting papers should show where the goods "and/or parts thereof" come from².

The settlements are not named in the decree itself. Instead, the decree points to the EU postcode list¹. The European Commission keeps this list of places and their postcodes. Goods from these places cannot get lower EU tariffs under the EU-Israel trade deal¹. Dutch Customs tells traders to use this list to check whether a place is an unlawful settlement².

Goods that do qualify for those lower tariffs are outside the decree¹. The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the trade deal between the EU and Israel, signed on Nov. 20, 1995³. Dutch Customs adds that the decree does not change trade with Israel inside its internationally recognised 1967 borders².

What must importers of Israeli goods declare?

An importer who brings goods of Israeli origin into the Netherlands to sell in the EU must give a statement. It must say that the goods do not come from an unlawful settlement¹. The statement goes to officials named by the minister under the Sanctions Act¹.

In practice, Dutch Customs collects this statement through a document code on the customs declaration². There are two codes, depending on the kind of origin the goods have:

• Code 1700 is for goods of non-preferential origin, meaning goods that do not claim the lower tariffs of a trade deal. The code declares that they do not come from the settlements².
• Code Y864 is for goods of preferential origin, meaning goods that use the lower tariffs of the EU-Israel deal. The code declares that they do not come from an Israeli settlement².

Dutch Customs also refers traders to a 2015 notice from the European Commission². That notice sets out the correct origin labels for goods from the settlements and from Palestinian areas outside them².

What proof can Dutch Customs ask for?

During an inspection, an importer must be able to prove that the goods do not come from a settlement². Dutch Customs asks importers to keep the papers carefully in their records². It lists these examples of proof:

• Origin documents, such as certificates or supplier declarations, that state the postcode or place where the goods or their parts come from
• Invoices, contracts and transport papers that state the production site
• Extra declarations from the maker or supplier confirming that production takes place in Israel inside the 1967 borders, also called the Green Line

Some importers will be asked for more. Dutch Customs expects extra supporting papers with declarations from importers who regularly import from Israel². The same applies to those who import larger quantities from Israel, or who regularly buy from the same Israeli supplier².

Can settlement goods still pass through Dutch ports?

Yes, in two cases. Goods from the settlements may enter the Netherlands if they are not released for sale in the Netherlands². Dutch Customs allows two routes:

1. The goods move straight on to another EU member state under customs transit, the procedure for moving goods under customs control without paying duty.
2. The goods are stored in a customs warehouse, and may then go on in transit to another member state.

The decree builds this in through its definition of bringing goods into Dutch territory. That definition leaves out customs transit under the Union Customs Code, the main EU customs law¹.

Dutch Customs explains what companies may still do with these goods in transit². A company may:

• unload containers
• submit customs declarations
• store goods in a customs warehouse
• carry goods by truck to another EU member state

However, a company may not provide go-between trading services for these goods². Logistics firms and customs brokers can therefore handle transit shipments, but cannot help arrange the sale.

How will the Netherlands enforce the ban?

Breaking the decree is a criminal matter. Dutch Customs warns that anyone who fails to follow it may be liable to prosecution². The Council of State is the government’s top legal adviser. It notes that Customs and the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) will enforce the decree⁴. Their special investigators work under the authority of the Public Prosecution Service⁴.

The Council of State also recorded doubts from these same bodies. FIOD, the prosecutors and Customs said it is hard in practice to check where a product comes from⁴. Goods could also reach the Netherlands through another EU country⁴.

Goods moving freely inside the EU are not routinely checked at Dutch borders⁴. The bans on buying and selling are meant to close that gap⁴. A shop or wholesaler that sells settlement goods bought in another EU country can break the law even without importing them.

The Council of State accepted the government’s case for the decree. It still advised the government to explain better how enforcement would work⁴. It also asked why there was no public internet consultation on the draft⁴.

How long will the settlement goods ban last?

The decree took effect two months after the date of the gazette that published it³. With publication on July 21, 2026, the Foreign Minister confirmed the start date of Sept. 22, 2026⁴.

The measure is temporary. The official legal database shows that the decree expires on Sept. 22, 2029¹. That gives a run of three years unless the government changes it.

Parliament had a chance to step in. Under the Sanctions Act, one fifth of the Senate could ask for the decree to be confirmed by a law⁴. Because of the summer recess, the deadline for that request was extended to Sept. 30, 2026⁴. The decree is listed as in force from Sept. 22, 2026 to the present¹.

The decree does not apply in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom⁴. The Council of State noted that those countries have their own legal powers for such measures⁴.

Key points on the Dutch settlement goods ban

The table below sums up the main facts of the decree.

Every shipment of Israeli goods entering the Dutch market now needs Code 1700 or Code Y864 and papers that show the place of production. The ban runs until Sept. 22, 2029, unless the government changes it before then¹.

Sources

1. ↩ wetten.nl – Regeling – Tijdelijk sanctiebesluit onrechtmatige nederzettingen in de door Israël bezette gebieden – BWBR0052870 https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0052870
2. ↩ Temporary sanctions decree unlawful settlements in territories occupied by Israel | Dutch Customs https://www.douane.nl/en/themes/import-and-export/import/temporary-sanctions-decree-unlawful-settlements-in-territories-occupied-by-israel/
3. ↩ Staatsblad 2026, 222 | Overheid.nl > Officiële bekendmakingen https://www.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2026-222.html
4. ↩ Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal https://www.eerstekamer.nl/brief_in/20260721/mededeling_inzake_publicatie/f=/vmzecdj72azk.pdf