Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Odido hackers also stole citizen service numbers after all
Hackers involved in a cyberattack on telecom provider Odido successfully stole citizen service numbers (BSNs) belonging to some business customers. This contradicts previous statements from the compan...
Jetten won't say if Sjoerdsma can join trade mission to China
Minister Rob Jetten has not confirmed whether Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma can participate in trade missions to China due to Sjoerdsma's presence on a Chinese sanctions list. Jetten stated that Sjo...
Cabinet will no longer provide promised extra money for Ukraine
The Dutch government will not provide an additional 2 billion euros in aid to Ukraine this year, despite a previously passed motion in the House of Representatives. Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced...
Civil servants to strike, DUO and Tax Administration less accessible
National civil servants across the Netherlands are staging a 24-hour strike this Tuesday to protest the lack of a pay raise this year. The industrial action is expected to make services such as DUO an...
Controversial plan proceeds: free abortion care for millions of women in Europe
The European Commission will provide funding to support women from EU countries where abortion is illegal by subsidizing care in other member states. Countries like the Netherlands will be able to acc...
Orbán says in letter he won't lift blockade on Kyiv loan
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has indicated in a letter to EU Council President António Costa that he will not lift his blockade on a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. The refusal remains fir...
Heat pumps mandatory again? Seeing is believing, say manufacturers
The Dutch government proposes making hybrid heat pumps mandatory starting in 2029 as part of its climate strategy. Heat pump manufacturers remain skeptical, citing previous financial losses and high i...
Zandvoort theater renovation spirals out of control: €600,000 extra costs and noise problems
Theater De Krocht in Zandvoort reopened in mid-February following a major renovation that exceeded its budget by 600,000 euros. The local municipality has also expressed concerns regarding the buildin...
Jetten sees little room to phase out mortgage interest deduction
Prime Minister Rob Jetten stated during a debate on the government's policy statement that there is little chance of further phasing out the mortgage interest deduction. He noted that while the topic ...
Instagram to warn parents if child shows interest in suicide
Instagram's parent company, Meta, announced that it will notify parents if their children under the age of sixteen frequently search for content related to suicide or self-harm. This new measure is in...
Fishermen's Union chairman calls for fund for disasters at sea
The chairman of the Dutch Fishermen's Union has proposed that shipping companies and other stakeholders on the North Sea establish an emergency fund for maritime calamities. This initiative aims to en...
Norwegian WEF chief Brende resigns after investigation into Epstein ties
Former Norwegian minister Børge Brende is stepping down from his position as a top executive at the World Economic Forum. The resignation follows an internal investigation into Brende's past contacts...
Tackling social tenants who own a home 'complex', priority given to those with two homes
Housing corporations in Amsterdam are prioritizing enforcement against social housing tenants who own multiple properties, following the eviction of a tenant who was renting out two owned homes. Housi...
Parties accuse Jetten of 'false start' in cooperation with Parliament
Several political parties have criticized Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten for a "false start" in his cooperation with the House of Representatives due to his rigid stance on pension plans. Critics arg...
Owner of Telegraaf and NRC surpasses one million digital subscribers
Mediahuis, the publisher of Dutch newspapers De Telegraaf and NRC, reached a milestone of one million digital subscribers in 2025. This growth in digital subscriptions has successfully offset the decl...
Jetten acknowledges need for movement on coalition state pension plans
Prime Minister Rob Jetten has acknowledged that the Dutch government needs to make a concession regarding its state pension plans to restore relations with labor unions. Unions FNV, CNV, and VCP have ...
Poland: Defense costs pale in comparison to trillions after Russian attack
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski warned that the cost of defending NATO's eastern flank against a Russian attack would reach hundreds of billions of euros. He emphasized that these potential cos...
Odido refuses to pay hackers: data of hundreds of thousands of customers leaked on dark web
Telecom provider Odido has refused to pay a ransom to a criminal hacker group following a data breach involving millions of customer records. Consequently, the hackers have published the stolen data o...
Port of Rotterdam shrinks for fourth year in a row due to steel crisis
The Port of Rotterdam has experienced a decline in cargo throughput for the fourth consecutive year. Port authorities attribute this persistent shrinking to the struggling state of the European steel ...
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot continues to generate pornographic images: Dutch aid organizations sue Grok
Dutch organizations Offlimits and Fonds Slachtofferhulp are filing a summary injunction to ban Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, from the social media platform X. The legal action follows reports that the...
Number of births in Japan falls for tenth consecutive year
Japan's birth rate has declined for the tenth consecutive year, remaining one of the lowest in the world. The country continues to face significant challenges associated with a shrinking and aging pop...
ACM approves US acquisition of DigiD manager Solvinity
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has approved the acquisition of Solvinity by the American company Kyndryl. Following an investigation, the regulator concluded that the takeov...
Unions suspend talks with government until pension plan is off the table
Dutch trade unions FNV, CNV, and VHP have suspended negotiations with the new cabinet until plans to accelerate the increase of the state pension age are withdrawn. The unions stated that merely softe...
Wilders withdraws confidence in ‘Thieving Cabinet’, Jetten counters: ‘Trust is not easily earned back’
Prime Minister Rob Jetten is defending his government's policy statement during a parliamentary debate where opposition leader Geert Wilders has already expressed a lack of confidence. Jetten faces th...
Klaver attacks Jetten over NATO tax: ‘Make companies pay more’
Opposition leader Jesse Klaver criticized Prime Minister Rob Jetten during a debate regarding corporate taxes and the proposed increase in the retirement age. Despite criticism from unions and the opp...
Beware of unnecessary insurance when buying a washing machine or TV
The Dutch Consumers' Association is warning shoppers against purchasing unnecessary insurance policies when buying appliances like washing machines or televisions. These policies are often described a...
Moerdijk residents launch fund and fundraiser over uncertain future
The Moerdijk Residents' Collective has established a legal protection fund to raise money for legal defense and expert advice. This move comes as the village faces possible displacement due to the pla...
Anger over employers tampering with ‘too expensive’ schemes for older workers: ‘The timing is bizarre’
Dutch employers' association AWVN is proposing changes to regulations for older workers to reduce costs and keep them employed longer. The FNV labor union has strongly criticized the proposal, calling...
Chipmaker NVIDIA reports higher revenue thanks to AI investments
NVIDIA has reported a revenue increase of nearly 75%, driven by high demand for chips that power artificial intelligence applications. This growth exceeded financial market expectations, solidifying t...
US industry faces shortage of rare materials
The United States aviation and electronics industries are experiencing a growing shortage of rare materials necessary for manufacturing microchips and other components. Industry insiders report that t...