Business News in English
Latest business headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Oil stocks to be released faster, with diesel prioritized for the market
The IEA is accelerating the release of strategic oil reserves, prioritizing diesel to stabilize markets amid rising global energy prices. Member states have already released 325 million barrels to mit...
Demand for affordable and sustainable funerals grows: 'Just put me in a cardboard box'
The funeral industry in the Netherlands is preparing for a shift in consumer demand toward more affordable and environmentally friendly burial options. As part of this transition, the sector is explor...
Shell profits from nearly doubled oil refining margins
Shell is experiencing record profit margins as the price gap between crude oil and refined fuels has reached unprecedented levels due to global supply shortages. While high shipping costs and logistic...
Private rental market out of reach for average earners due to high income requirements: 'Hopeless'
Many Dutch households are currently priced out of the private rental market due to high average rents and strict income requirements imposed by landlords. With rental costs often exceeding 1,900 euros...
Amazon Prime Video secures global streaming rights for the Emmys
Amazon Prime Video has secured the exclusive global rights to stream the Emmy Awards starting in 2027, replacing the traditional rotation system used by American networks. The ceremony will be availab...
Jaguar presents new electric car in higher price range
Jaguar has introduced the Type 01, an ultra-powerful electric luxury sedan capable of reaching 96 kilometers per hour in 3.2 seconds with a 720-kilometer range. Set to launch in early 2027 for approxi...
Singer Loona wins royalty case over her cover of Vamos a la Playa
Singer Loona has won a royalty lawsuit regarding her cover of the song Vamos a la Playa after a court ruled that the relevant payment agreement had expired. The court found that the plaintiff, a studi...
Is Rob Jetten counting his chickens before they hatch? The polder agreement could still fail
The Dutch government is engaging in negotiations with unions, but significant risks remain regarding the potential failure of these discussions. Concerns have emerged that the proposed plans could ina...
IMF: Public debt, energy demand and energy prices threaten global economy
The IMF has warned that the global economy faces significant threats from rising national debt, increasing energy demand driven by AI, and high energy prices. These economic pressures are creating gro...
Absence due to mental health issues worsens labor market shortages
Absenteeism due to mental health issues rose by 7.1 percent between 2024 and 2025, even as overall sick leave declined. These long-term absences, particularly prevalent among women, are expected to wo...
GVB sees future for self-driving shuttles in Amsterdam: An excellent opportunity to address labor shortages
The Amsterdam transport operator GVB plans to test small, driverless shuttle buses within the next three years. This initiative aims to address severe labor shortages and eventually transition the cit...
Student loan interest rates to rise for a quarter million former students next year
Around 250,000 former students will face higher interest rates on their loans next year as their five-year fixed-rate periods end. Those under the pre-2015 system will see rates rise to 3.28 percent, ...
Labor productivity in the private sector rises again after two years of decline
Labor productivity in the Dutch private sector increased by 2.5 percent last year, ending a two-year downward trend. This growth was driven by a rise in added value and a decrease in total hours worke...
Diddy must pay NBC half a million dollars after dismissed defamation lawsuit
Diddy has been ordered to pay NBC 500,000 dollars after a judge dismissed his 100 million dollar defamation lawsuit regarding a documentary about his life. The rapper, who is currently serving a priso...
Netherlands breaks even after banking crisis: ABN Amro rescue yields another 3.5 billion for treasury
The Dutch government is nearing a break-even point on its 2008 rescue of ABN Amro following the sale of a new 10.2 percent stake for an estimated 3.5 billion euros. This latest move leaves the state w...
VNO-NCW chief warns unions and cabinet: 'We are heading down the Belgian path this way'
VNO-NCW chairman Coen van Oostrom has warned the Dutch government and labor unions that the current economic model is unsustainable and risks leading the country toward a decline similar to Belgium. H...
Cabinet plans to require homeowners to install hybrid heat pumps starting in 2029
Beginning in 2029, homeowners in the Netherlands must install hybrid heat pumps instead of gas-fired boilers when replacing their heating systems. The government plans to exempt apartments and monumen...
State to halve ABN Amro stake to 10.5 percent
The Dutch government plans to reduce its stake in ABN Amro from 20.7 percent to 10.5 percent through a new trading plan. This step continues the state's gradual exit from the bank, which was nationali...
Raids on Japanese brewers over price-fixing, including Grolsch parent company
Japanese antitrust authorities have raided four major breweries, including Asahi Breweries, over allegations of illegal price-fixing. The companies are suspected of coordinating price increases for th...
Rental prices are rising faster than home prices
Private sector rental prices increased by 4.4 percent annually, rising faster than inflation and the price of owner-occupied homes. Data suggests the market is shrinking as landlords sell their proper...
High rents drive away candidates: private sector homes stay online longer
Rental interest in the Netherlands has dropped significantly as rising prices and decreasing housing supply make finding a home more difficult. Landlords are increasingly selling their properties due ...
More than 76,000 rental homes have already disappeared from the market – landlords complain about affordable rent legislation
Since the introduction of the Affordable Rent Act in 2024, over 76,000 rental homes have been sold off by landlords across the Netherlands, tightening housing supply. Rental prices are simultaneously ...
One in ten houses sold in Amsterdam is a former rental property, landlords complain: 'The damage is enormous'
Approximately 9.1 percent of homes sold in Amsterdam were formerly rental properties as landlords exit the market following the introduction of new rental legislation and higher taxes. Across the Neth...
Alderman: Amsterdam city center entrepreneurs too dependent on tourism
Amsterdam alderman Melanie van der Horst has stated that businesses in the city center are overly reliant on tourism, making the local economy vulnerable to shifts in visitor spending. To address this...
Scrapping staff perks goes down badly: 'This feels like taking away income'
Employees at major companies like Sligro and Jumbo are strongly protesting plans to eliminate staff discounts. Workers feel that removing this benefit is equivalent to a reduction in their take-home p...
Eight 'sugar-free' Starbucks drinks contain sugar, spark lawsuit
Starbucks is facing a lawsuit alleging that eight drinks labeled as sugar-free actually contain significant amounts of sugar. While the plaintiffs claim the marketing is misleading, Starbucks argues t...
Amsterdam city center relies more heavily on tourists than other cities, Van der Horst warns of economic risk
Amsterdam's retail and hospitality sectors rely heavily on tourism, leading to concerns from Deputy Mayor Van der Horst about economic vulnerability. The official warns that this focus on visitors ris...
Flower kiosk belonging to sisters Mandy and Kim destroyed by fire: My heart is weeping
Mandy's Bloemenshop, a 47-year-old family business on the Amstelveenseweg in Amsterdam, was destroyed by a fire caused by a short circuit in the cooling system. Sisters Kim and Mandy are devastated by...
IMF warns of increasingly powerful hedge funds
The IMF has raised concerns about the significant growth of hedge funds, which now manage 13 trillion dollars and utilize risky leverage strategies. The organization warns that these funds could pose ...
Mega-merger in streaming world is a fact: Skydance acquires Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Skydance has completed a 110 billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, merging two major Hollywood studios and their streaming services into a single entity named Skydance. The m...