Business News in English

Justin Bieber's shoes and Shakira's top: World Cup auction raises hundreds of thousands

An online auction featuring memorabilia from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including items from Justin Bieber and Shakira, raised over $652,000. The proceeds will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Educ...

Building permit fees vary significantly by municipality

A yearly study by the Vereniging Eigen Huis shows that building permit costs vary significantly between municipalities in the Netherlands. In some cases, residents may pay tens of thousands of euros m...

Amsterdam designer Joost Grootens in the running to design new euro banknote

Amsterdam-based designer Joost Grootens has been selected as one of ten finalists to design the new series of euro banknotes. His proposed designs, which focus on humanizing European icons, are compet...

Labor market remains tight despite fewer job vacancies

The labor market in the Netherlands tightened slightly in the second quarter, with 95 vacancies for every 100 unemployed individuals. Meanwhile, the number of self-employed workers has declined for th...

To spray with salt water or not to spray? Potato farmers struggle with drought

Potato farmers in the southern part of North Holland are struggling with drought and rising salt levels in irrigation water, forcing them to choose between using harmful water or letting crops wither....

Sellers with asking prices that are too high forced to lower them: average price drop of 41,551 euros

In the past quarter, one in eight home sellers in the Netherlands were forced to lower their asking prices, marking the highest rate in two and a half years. On average, these sellers reduced their pr...

More homes offered and sold in Amsterdam at a lower average transaction price, but a turnaround seems imminent

High number of sick leave reports in healthcare sector costs at least 5.8 billion euros annually

The healthcare sector in the Netherlands faces annual costs of at least 5.8 billion euros due to high employee absenteeism. With an average absence rate of 7.5 percent, healthcare workers have the hig...

Will the plane you take on holiday have folding wings in a few years?

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is set to test folding wingtips on narrowbody aircraft designed for short to medium-haul flights. This technology, which allows wings to fold, could be implemented on comm...

Beer market slumps, but enthusiasts remain thirsty for unique and foreign brews

While the overall Dutch beer market is currently facing a downturn, some entrepreneurs are finding success by focusing on niche online sales of unique and alcohol-free specialty beers. Businesses like...

Train tickets and subscriptions are generating profit for NS again

NS reported a modest profit in the first half of 2026, supported by an average 6.5 percent increase in ticket prices. Despite the higher costs, the Dutch national railway operator saw a slight rise in...

Fitz-Jim moves to Torino, Ajax receives around 3 million euros for the midfielder

Ajax midfielder Kian Fitz-Jim is set to join Italian club Torino after undergoing a medical examination today. The 23-year-old will sign a three-year contract, with an option for an additional season,...

Tax authorities save nearly 2 million euros on letters and blue envelopes

The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration is saving nearly 2 million euros in printing and mailing costs as fewer blue envelopes are being sent. This decrease is due to nearly four million citizens opt...

Revolution in Dutch festival scene: hunting for dirt-cheap tickets becomes harder

TicketSwap has introduced a new feature allowing festival organizers to set minimum price limits on secondary ticket sales. This change aims to end the practice of dumping tickets at extremely low pri...

AD editor-in-chief Rennie Rijpma becomes media director of KRO-NCRV

Rennie Rijpma will step down as editor-in-chief of the AD newspaper to become the new media director of KRO-NCRV. She is scheduled to begin her new role at the broadcaster on October 1st.

KLM maintenance division under enhanced supervision since May

Since May, KLM's maintenance division has been under enhanced supervision by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). An airline spokesperson confirmed this regulatory development on We...

BMW to cut thousands of jobs starting next year

BMW has announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide starting next year. The company intends to implement these reductions through natural attrition and voluntary severance programs.

More than half of cars sold will be electric next year

Economists at ING expect that more than half of all new cars sold in the Netherlands next year will be fully electric. This forecast highlights a significant shift in the automotive market towards ele...

Working as a reservist during office hours: it's possible at more and more companies

The Dutch Ministry of Defence has signed covenants with 57 organizations, up from 12 two years ago, to encourage employees to serve as military reservists during working hours. These companies are com...

Brewers sell less alcoholic beer, while non-alcoholic beer grows rapidly

Dutch consumers are purchasing less beer containing alcohol as the trend toward non-alcoholic alternatives grows. The shift indicates that drinking alcohol-free beer is becoming increasingly common ac...

Tech hubs Amsterdam and Eindhoven must collaborate to remain digitally sovereign from the US and China

Apple market value breaks 5 trillion dollar mark

Apple's market capitalization has surpassed $5 trillion for the first time, joining chipmaker NVIDIA as the only companies to reach this valuation. Apple recently overtook NVIDIA to become the world's...

Designer Joost on the eternal fame of a banknote: It was truly a puzzle

Amsterdam-based designer Joost Grootens has been shortlisted to design the new euro banknote. He stated that while the project offers little financial gain, he is motivated by the prestige associated ...

'Unprecedented' drought set to cause pain: irrigation bans for farmers and saltwater intrusion for Boskoop growers

Severe drought conditions in the Netherlands have prompted officials to warn that upcoming water usage restrictions could significantly impact farmers and plant nurseries. Authorities are currently at...

ING scanner unable to handle new iDEAL technology

Starting in October, ING customers who rely exclusively on the bank's physical scanner will no longer be able to use iDEAL for online payments. The bank stated it cannot implement the technology requi...

Tech stocks fall worldwide amid growing doubts over AI hype

Global tech stocks are experiencing a significant decline as investor confidence in the artificial intelligence hype begins to wane. This downturn marks a sharp reversal from the earlier strong perfor...

Over 24 hours in the air: new Airbus aircraft immediately sets unprecedented record

The first Airbus A350-1000ULR has set a record by completing a non-stop flight lasting over 24 hours. The aircraft traveled from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France, during this historic test fl...

Persistent heat puts pressure on Rhine freight transport

Persistent heat in Europe is causing water levels on the Rhine to drop to historic lows, severely impacting the transport of goods like coal and fuel. This situation is creating significant logistics ...

Coca-Cola revenue grows thanks to higher soft drink sales

Coca-Cola reported increased revenue in the last quarter, driven by higher soft drink sales during the World Cup and the implementation of price hikes. As a major sponsor of the tournament, the compan...

More expensive sportswear and jackets: EU imposes import tariffs on Chinese nylon

The European Union has introduced import duties ranging from 60 to 67.5 percent on Chinese nylon. This measure aims to counter the dumping of low-priced nylon on the European market, which is expected...