Trafigura describes its July 2010 Dutch fine of EUR 1 million as a ruling on a technical breach of the provisions for exporting waste from the European Union.

This ruling dealt with a technical breach of the provisions for exporting

About: Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.
Claim made by: Trafigura, company statement
Published: 12 October 2021
Original: The Probo Koala case in 13 questions
Evidence score: 73 How it was scored
Last reviewed: 25 October 2026

Why this label

It is supported that the Dutch case concerned the export of waste from Amsterdam and not the events in Ivory Coast^S7. DutchNews reported that the Amsterdam court fined Trafigura EUR 1 million and found it broke the law by taking the waste to west Africa^S5. The same report says the court faulted the company for concealing the true nature of the waste when the ship docked in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Appeals Court upheld the fine in December 2011^S6. Trafigura says all appeals were withdrawn after a settlement with the Dutch prosecutor on 16 November 2012^S4. The word technical is Trafigura's own and leaves out the concealment finding. The company account is accurate on scope but goes beyond the record in tone.

Current procedural position

District court conviction and EUR 1 million fine on 23 July 2010^S5. Fine upheld by the Amsterdam Appeals Court in December 2011^S6. All appeals withdrawn after a settlement with the Dutch prosecutor on 16 November 2012, per Trafigura^S4.

Record supporting the assessment

concealing the true nature of the waste when the ship docked in Amsterdam

^S5 Tier C DutchNews.nl, Trafigura fined €1m for exporting toxic waste from Amsterdam, 23 July 2010

upheld a 1 million euro (USD $1.3 million) fine against oil trading company Trafigura

^S6 Tier D JURIST, Dutch appeals court upholds fine on oil trading company, December 2011

was fined EUR 1 million by the Dutch courts for breaching the rules on the transport of hazardous waste

^S4 Tier B Trafigura, The Probo Koala case in 13 questions, 12 October 2021

All appeals were withdrawn after a settlement was reached with the Dutch public prosecutor on 16th November 2012.

^S4 Tier B Trafigura, The Probo Koala case in 13 questions, 12 October 2021

Conflicting or limiting record

No record located that conflicts with this assessment.

Evidence score: 73 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

Component	Points	Max	Reason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?	17	30	The rulings are known from press reports and the company page, not the judgments.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?	16	20	The reports state the fine and the concealment finding.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?	11	15	Two press reports and the company page agree on the fine.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?	13	15	The fine was upheld on appeal.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?	8	10	We found no later ruling changing the outcome.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?	8	10	All pages are public.
Total	73	100

Timeline

23 July 2010Amsterdam court fines Trafigura EUR 1 million^S5
December 2011Amsterdam Appeals Court upholds the fine^S6
16 November 2012Appeals withdrawn after a settlement with the Dutch prosecutor, per Trafigura^S4

Related cases

Public Prosecution Service v Trafigura Beheer B.V. and othersAmsterdam District Court and Amsterdam Court of Appeal. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Final. Appeals withdrawn after a settlement with the prosecutor on 16 November 2012, per Trafigura
- December 2011 Fine upheld on appeal^S6
- 16 November 2012 Appeals withdrawn after a settlement with the Dutch prosecutor, per Trafigura^S4

Revision history

25 October 2026 Assessment first published with label Partly supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

S5Tier C Trafigura fined €1m for exporting toxic waste from AmsterdamDutchNews.nl. Press report. 23 July 2010.Reports the Amsterdam ruling, the fine and the concealment finding. It does not cover the appeal.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S6Tier D Dutch appeals court upholds fine on oil trading companyJURIST. Press report. December 2011.Legal news report that the appeals court upheld the EUR 1 million fine. No byline or exact day is shown.
S4Tier B The Probo Koala case in 13 questionsTrafigura. Company statement. 12 October 2021.Company account of the dumping, the settlements, the Dutch fine and its view on health effects. The date is the latest date shown on the page.
S7Tier D UN experts say victims of Trafigura's toxic waste dumping await justice after 20 yearsJURIST (Cecilia Akoko Attiogbe Atayi). Press report. 30 July 2026.Reports a 2026 UN experts statement on victims and notes the Dutch case covered export from Amsterdam only. It does not give death figures.

Other claims about Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.

Supported87
The US Department of Justice said in March 2024 that Trafigura pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA over bribes to Brazilian officials and would pay over US$126 million.
Regulator statement, 28 March 20242 records citedBribery
Partly supported68
A January 2025 Bloomberg report carried by swissinfo said Trafigura was convicted of bribery by a Swiss court over payments to an Angolan official.
Press report, 31 January 20255 records citedBribery
Unresolved50
Trafigura says on its Probo Koala page that neither deaths, nor miscarriages or serious illnesses could have been caused by the slops dumped in Abidjan in 2006.
Company statement, 12 October 20213 records citedSafety