Business News in English
Latest business headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Canadian company abandons bid to acquire Arcadis and withdraws offer
Canadian firm WSP Global has terminated its attempt to acquire the Dutch engineering and consultancy company Arcadis after being rejected twice. The suitor withdrew its offer because it could not enga...
Municipality of Amsterdam fails to reintegrate sick employees: UWV imposed 90 wage sanctions since 2023
The Municipality of Amsterdam has been hit with 90 wage sanctions by the UWV since 2023 for failing to adequately reintegrate sick employees, costing taxpayers approximately 6.6 million euros. Alderma...
ASML is not currently selling any chip machines in Europe
ASML reports that it is not selling any chip-making machines in Europe due to a lack of local investment and new fabrication facilities. The company, which is vital to the global semiconductor supply ...
Cocaine press with gang logo found in Amsterdam rental home, judge approves eviction
A court in Amsterdam has ordered the eviction of a tenant after police discovered a large-scale cocaine processing facility inside his rental apartment in October 2025. Despite the tenant's claims of ...
World Cup visitors bombarded with fast food and drink advertisements
A study found that unhealthy food and drink brands dominated advertising during the World Cup, appearing in over 70 percent of all visible branding throughout the live matches. These advertisements we...
Labor Inspectorate arrests two ex-convicts for benefit fraud
Two former convicts have been arrested by the Netherlands Labor Inspectorate for allegedly defrauding the UWV of 160,000 euros. The suspects reportedly used forged prison discharge documents to illici...
Former Martinair cargo pilots are entitled to back pay from KLM
Former Martinair cargo pilots have won the right to back pay from KLM for the period spanning 2014 to 2022 following an improper company transfer. Although the court denied their request for retroacti...
Saudi Arabia reopens key oil pipeline after major drone damage
Saudi Arabia has partially reopened its critical East-West pipeline following damage from Houthi drone attacks. The pipeline serves as a key export route while the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Ho...
Lawyers for Frits van Eerd want judges to personally inspect the famous fridge used to store cash
Lawyers for Frits van Eerd have asked an appeals court to personally inspect the workshop where the former Jumbo executive stored cash in a refrigerator. The defense argues the facility was highly sec...
Anyone who gets in the way of bunq founder Ali Niknam must go, according to a biography written by three investigative journalists: 'For Ali, everything is about efficiency, never about empathy for others'
An unauthorized biography of bunq founder Ali Niknam describes a demanding leadership style that prioritizes extreme efficiency over employee empathy. The book, written by three investigative journali...
EU opens door wider to free trade agreement with the Philippines
The European Union has restarted trade negotiations with the Philippines to eliminate tariffs on most goods and strengthen economic ties. The agreement aims to reduce European dependence on other majo...
KLM resumes flights to Dubai and Saudi Arabia from late October
KLM plans to resume flights to Dubai and Saudi Arabia in late October, though the schedule remains subject to change based on the security situation in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the airline continue...
Dutch fine of 5 million euros for Swiss bank UBS for assisting tax evaders
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has fined UBS 5 million euros for its role in assisting clients with tax evasion between 2005 and 2015. The investigation focused on Credit Suisse, which was acqui...
Existing owner-occupied homes slightly cheaper in August, price growth continues to slow
Existing owner-occupied home prices in the Netherlands fell by 0.1 percent in August, though they remain 3.3 percent higher than a year ago. The market is cooling due to higher mortgage interest rates...
Luxury brands see middle class pulling back: expensive handbags becoming less of a staple
Middle-class consumers are purchasing fewer luxury goods due to significant price increases and changing spending priorities. Consequently, luxury brands are shifting their strategies to provide more ...
Selling dates from Israeli settlements is now a criminal offense
Starting September 22, the Netherlands has banned the trade of goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories following an International Court of Justice ruling. Violators face pot...
House prices are rising at a slower pace
The pace of house price growth in the Netherlands has slowed to 3.3 percent as of August, down from significantly higher increases recorded in late 2024. While the average sale price remains above 503...
Nearly one million euros for Brigitte Bardot memorabilia auction, 20 times more than expected
An auction of Brigitte Bardot's personal belongings raised nearly one million euros, significantly outperforming initial projections. The sale included hundreds of items, with proceeds supporting her ...
Settlements pave the way for Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros.
Paramount has reached settlement agreements with twelve states and a writers' union to proceed with its 110 billion dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. The deal requires the company to maintain specifi...
Conference industry fears higher tourist tax: We are driving away the wrong tourists
Amsterdam is set to increase its tourist tax to 20 percent by 2031, prompting concerns from the conference industry that the move will drive away valuable business travelers. Industry leaders argue th...
Conference industry fears higher tourist tax: "We are driving away the wrong tourists"
Amsterdam plans to raise its tourist tax to 30 percent by 2031, prompting concerns from the conference industry that the move will drive away high-spending business travelers. While city officials arg...
Bitcoin climbs to highest level since January
Bitcoin reached its highest value since January this Monday, climbing to a peak of 85,229 dollars. The digital currency has seen significant growth over the past few months, even as regulatory landsca...
Major fire at Tata Steel site
A fire occurred late in the afternoon at a Tata Steel facility, originating on a conveyor belt near a blast furnace. The company evacuated the site and successfully extinguished the blaze using its in...
9 million votes cast for new euro banknote designs, last chance today
The European Central Bank has collected 9 million public votes for new euro banknote designs featuring themes of European culture or rivers and birds. The public has until midnight today to participat...
Ordering packages from China becomes significantly more expensive again starting in November: here is what you will pay
Shoppers ordering from non-EU platforms such as Temu and Shein will face an additional 2 euro processing fee starting in November. This new measure adds to an existing 3 euro tax, aiming to combat unf...
Fuel shortages reported at some French gas stations
Multiple gas stations in eastern France are reporting fuel shortages, particularly in the Alsace, Champagne, and Lorraine regions, due to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East....
Sustainable clothing brand Mud Jeans from Weesp makes a restart
Sustainable clothing brand MUD Jeans has been acquired by N5 Holding following its bankruptcy filing in early August. The company, which struggled with heavy historical debt and low sales due to warm ...
Global diesel stocks shrink as prices continue to rise
Global diesel inventories are shrinking due to geopolitical conflicts and refinery disruptions, leading to record-high prices across Europe and the United States. Although officials note that fuel sup...
Google fined 403 million euros for processing location data
Google has been fined 403 million euros by the Irish Data Protection Commission for mishandling user location data. The investigation was triggered by consumer organizations concerned that the company...
Russia threatens to seize multiple Western companies: bad news for Nestlé and Auchan supermarket
Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed the local assets of 81 Western companies, including Nestlé and Auchan, under the temporary management of an entity led by a government-linked official. Thi...