More than 84% of Dutch exporters fear increasing global protectionism will hamper business, the Financieele Dagblad said on Monday.

Nearly 6,000 exporters were polled about their expectations for 2017 for the annual Trends in Export report published by credit insurer Atradius and sector lobby group Evofenedex.

More than 80% of the exporters feel that protectionism will continue to expand while 57% said that local producers should be protected against foreign competition through limits on imports and export subsidies.

US president Donald Trump and the Brexit negotiations were named as the biggest threats to Dutch exports.

Companies making consumer goods or which are involved in the export of agrarian or fisheries products have the most problems, naming regulations, red tape, trade limitations and import tax as the main problems.

The majority of exporters praised Ceta, the new European trade treaty with Canada and said it should serve as a model for future accords. They  added that better relations between countries also helped.