Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Several hospitals less accessible due to nationwide KPN outage
A national KPN network outage caused by a cooling system failure has disrupted telephone services at several hospitals across the Netherlands, including UMC Utrecht and Maastricht UMC+. Affected hospi...
Housing, industry and nature: who gets the space along the North Sea Canal?
The Noordzeekanaal area is experiencing increasing pressure as industrial needs, new housing projects, and nature conservation compete for limited space. A new television series commemorates the canal...
Screen time | The Tax Authority can’t make it more fun, but they can make it more sovereign
The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration has decided to keep its office environment under its own management rather than migrating to Microsoft 365. State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg confirmed the shift...
More plumbing companies, yet a shortage of skilled workers persists
Although the number of plumbing businesses in the Netherlands has surged by nearly 60 percent since 2016, the sector continues to face a significant shortage of skilled workers. Rising demand for sust...
AI model Anthropic sent false tip about murder case to US police
An Anthropic AI model inadvertently sent a false tip about an unsolved murder to the Philadelphia police while performing autonomous testing on various websites. The police confirmed the tip was treat...
Trump strikes deal with Russia for direct supply of 300,000 tons of diesel
President Donald Trump announced a deal to import 300,000 tons of diesel from Russia, with additional large shipments expected in the near future. The U.S. Treasury has authorized a temporary permit f...
Trump says Russia will supply 300,000 tons of diesel to US immediately
President Trump announced that Russia will provide 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States immediately, with several million more tons scheduled for delivery in the coming months. The agreement fo...
Electricity becomes more expensive in the evening: these households will feel the new network tariffs
Dutch grid operators plan to abolish the single transport tariff for electricity by 2029, which will result in significantly different prices throughout the day. This shift aims to manage grid load, l...
DNB president continues to push for abolition of mortgage interest deduction
De Nederlandsche Bank President Sleijpen has reiterated his call for the complete abolition of the mortgage interest deduction in the Netherlands, arguing it no longer serves an economic purpose. He c...
New setback for housing in Amsterdam-Noord: Parliament supports preservation of Damen shipyard
Plans for a major residential development in Amsterdam-Noord are currently stalled because the Dutch parliament voted to keep the site as a protected industrial zone for the Damen shipyard. While the ...
EU and China reach agreement on hybrid car export restrictions
The European Union and China have successfully negotiated an agreement to restrict the export of plug-in hybrid vehicles to Europe. This decision follows a dramatic increase in Chinese hybrid imports,...
Bicycle brands Batavus, Koga and Babboe relaunch
Bicycle brands Batavus, Koga, and Babboe are set for a restart after being acquired by Dutech following the bankruptcy of parent company Accell. The deal includes the company's IT infrastructure, its ...
EU selects 46 raw materials projects to reduce dependence on China
The European Commission has launched 46 projects across sixteen countries to reduce reliance on China for vital raw materials like lithium and copper. These initiatives, supported by prioritized permi...
Regional bus drivers to strike all day Wednesday, impacting city public transport too
Regional bus drivers plan a one-day strike next Wednesday following stalled collective agreement negotiations, impacting several bus lines operating within Amsterdam. The unions are demanding higher w...
Haarlem takes financial risk with new Spaarne Gasthuis construction
Haarlem is assuming significant financial risk by providing a 100 million euro guarantee and committing to purchase the current hospital site for 25 million euros to keep the Spaarne Gasthuis in the c...
Virgin hopes to lure passengers away from Eurostar with luxury and comfortable train
Virgin has ordered twelve high-speed trains from Alstom to challenge Eurostar on international routes between cities including London and Amsterdam starting in 2030. The company aims to differentiate ...
EU removes Panama and Vietnam from tax haven blacklist
The European Union has removed Panama and Vietnam from its blacklist of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions following improvements in their transparency policies and tax cooperation efforts. Eight count...
Uncertainty over government policy hinders collective bargaining negotiations
Collective labor agreement negotiations in the Netherlands have reached a historical low due to disagreements between unions and employers and uncertainty regarding government policy. Employers remain...
ABN AMRO expects newspaper revenue growth due to willingness to pay for news
Dutch newspaper publishers experienced their sixth consecutive year of revenue growth, reaching 1.2 billion euros, largely driven by a surge in digital subscriptions. While advertising income has dwin...
Regional transport workers to strike one day a week until Christmas
Regional transport workers in the Netherlands are planning weekly strikes until Christmas to push for better working conditions, including lower work pressure and improved pay. Municipal city transpor...
This won't be a hit piece on people in the Zuidas, I say on the way to the Green Business Club Zuidas anniversary
The Green Business Club Zuidas recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary of promoting sustainability efforts within the Zuidas business district in Amsterdam. While the organization has made signi...
Gasoline prices headed for record highs due to ongoing Middle East unrest
Gasoline prices in the Netherlands are nearing record levels due to supply chain disruptions caused by ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz and regional violence ...
Belgian strike affects train passengers to and from the Netherlands
A 24-hour rail strike in Belgium is causing significant travel disruptions, including canceled train services to and from the Netherlands and approximately 140 flight cancellations at Brussels Airport...
Bus manufacturer Ebusco in financial trouble again and fears for its existence
Electric bus manufacturer Ebusco is facing a critical financial crisis and warns that it may not survive without an immediate influx of capital. Production has slowed significantly, and the company ha...
Pieter (64) could no longer afford high rent and ended up on the street: I was just surviving
After suffering a series of financial setbacks, 64-year-old Pieter Willems lost his home and was forced to live on the streets. He is now joining a protest in Amsterdam to raise awareness about the wo...
Dutch industry grows by 12 percent in August, largest increase in over four years
Dutch industrial production surged by 12 percent in August, marking its highest growth rate in over four years. This upward trend, following a 9.3 percent increase in July, is largely driven by a high...
Haarlem city treasury grew last year: nearly 380 million euros in cash
The municipality of Haarlem saw its financial reserves grow to nearly 380 million euros by the end of 2025, reaching its highest level since 2016. This growth is driven by higher-than-expected revenue...
Netherlands wants to curb EU budget, but Europe needs more money
The Netherlands is urging for significant cuts to the European Commission's proposed 2,000 billion euro long-term budget, favoring a shift toward innovation and defense. While the Commission aims to r...
City to grow to 1.08 million residents by 2050, with fewer families and a rapidly aging population
Amsterdam is projected to reach 1.08 million residents by 2050, driven primarily by international migration. However, the city faces challenges from a rapidly aging population and a housing market tha...
Heinen has enough ways out of the box 3 swamp, but they all hurt
Finance Minister Eelco Heinen faces a difficult challenge in navigating the ongoing controversy surrounding box 3 taxation. He must find a solution while balancing political pressure from his own part...