Business News in English

Meta settles for billions in mega-lawsuit over addictive apps

Meta has agreed to a settlement of up to $16.7 billion to resolve a major U.S. lawsuit concerning the addictive design of its Facebook and Instagram platforms. As part of the agreement, the company wi...

Healthcare entrepreneur arrested in investigation into money laundering of tens of millions of euros

Police have arrested a 41-year-old healthcare entrepreneur in Amsterdam for his alleged involvement in a money laundering scheme involving tens of millions of euros. The suspect is accused of embezzli...

Equal pay does not drive Dutch ships abroad en masse

New research suggests that mandating equal pay for Dutch, Filipino, and Indonesian seafarers on the same vessels would not lead to a mass exodus of the Dutch fleet. This study contradicts previous war...

Healthcare entrepreneur in Osdorp arrested for payments to shell companies – police suspect money laundering scheme

France relaxes cheese rules due to lack of grass caused by drought

France is temporarily relaxing strict production regulations for traditional cheeses like Comté due to severe drought. Farmers are now permitted to feed their cows alternative fodder because insuffic...

Customs finds 30 kilos of cocaine hidden in excavator part

Customs officials at Schiphol Airport discovered over 30 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a heavy-duty excavator attachment arriving from Panama. Following a successful scan and detection by sniffer...

War kept travelers away from Dubai, but air traffic is picking up again

Dubai International Airport experienced a 31 percent drop in passenger numbers during the first half of the year due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. Traffic at the airport is now beginning to...

Inspectorate threatens fines for noisy night flights at Schiphol

SpaceX to invest billions in new spaceport for moon and Mars missions

SpaceX plans to invest approximately 85 billion euros to construct a major new spaceport in Louisiana. This facility is intended to serve as a key base for future missions to the moon and Mars.

German beer sellers already swamped by Dutch customers, and that's before the tax hike kicks in

Dutch consumers are increasingly traveling to Germany to purchase beer in order to take advantage of significant price differences. This trend is expected to grow as residents anticipate future excise...

Many customers get stuck with company chatbots

Many companies in the Netherlands now use chatbots as the first point of contact for customer inquiries. However, research shows that over seventy percent of consumers fail to receive an answer or ass...

From Copenhagen to Paris, this is how international rail travel from Amsterdam is growing

International rail travel from Amsterdam is experiencing growth as new carriers introduce services to destinations like Copenhagen, Paris, and Berlin. However, further expansion faces significant hurd...

Border pumps are on their own: 'They no longer know what to do'

Independent gas station owners near the Dutch border are struggling to survive as record-high fuel prices drive motorists to seek cheaper alternatives in neighboring countries. These small business ow...

Netherlands will not meet gas storage target for winter

Gasunie has announced that the Netherlands will not meet its targeted gas storage levels before the winter season. While officials note that the current supply should be sufficient for a typical winte...

Young people shop on weekends, the elderly on Fridays: this is what the Dutch payment rhythm looks like

An analysis of millions of debit card transactions by ABN Amro reveals a predictable spending pattern among the Dutch population. The data highlights a distinct generational difference, with younger p...

DNB invests 500,000 euros in home of richest Black woman in 18th-century Suriname: 'Apologies are not enough'

Shopping during Formula 1: ringing cash registers in menswear, silence in lingerie

Local businesses in Zandvoort experienced varying levels of success during the final Formula 1 race weekend, with hospitality and souvenir retailers seeing increased sales while other niche shops stru...

Canada imposes tariffs on billions of euros in US goods

Canada has announced import tariffs on American goods valued at approximately 17 billion euros in retaliation for duties imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian products. The measures target a...

Rain prevents further shipping issues to Rotterdam port

Recent rainfall in the Rhine basin has prevented further disruptions to shipping traffic bound for the Port of Rotterdam. However, the Port of Rotterdam Authority states that shipping conditions have ...

Lego closes first half with record revenue and sees profits rise by 32 percent

Lego reported a record revenue of 5.6 billion euros for the first half of 2026, marking a 21 percent increase compared to the previous year. The Danish toy manufacturer also saw its profits grow by 32...

Ryanair slams Jetten cabinet over 'failing' aviation policy

Ryanair has criticized the Dutch government for its aviation policy, specifically targeting the national flight tax. The airline described the levy as a fake green tax and urged for changes to the cur...

Cancellations and delays on German long-distance trains are increasing

Deutsche Bahn has reported an increase in cancellations and delays for long-distance train services during the first half of this year. Nearly 8 percent of these trips experienced a partial or full ca...

Bol can ship orders on time again after nearly three weeks

Online retailer Bol has resumed on-time shipping for all orders nearly three weeks after a cyberattack hit its logistics partner, CEVA. The attack previously caused significant delays and cancellation...

LEGO profits from World Cup and overtakes Barbie maker Mattel

LEGO has gained significant market share over the past six months due to popular new themes, including a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy and various pop culture sets. This growth has allowed the ...

Scammers strike during transition from iDeal to Wero: Fraud Helpdesk warns of phishing emails

The Dutch Fraud Helpdesk has issued a warning regarding a new phishing campaign targeting users during the transition from iDeal to the new European payment system, Wero. Scammers are sending fraudule...

Sander and Maartje think they are saving, but are just parking their money elsewhere for a while

A Dutch couple, Sander and Maartje, struggle to build savings despite having a steady income and no debts. Although they set aside 400 euros each month, they consistently transfer the money back to th...

Strait of Hormuz increasingly empty: only two ships passed through on Monday

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to its lowest level since May, with only two vessels passing through on Monday. This decline occurs amid threats from Iran to take measures ag...

Why are there protests at Schiphol security checkpoints, despite airport intervention?

Trump raises tariffs on Canadian cars and steel to 50 percent

Starting January 1, the United States will increase import tariffs on all Canadian cars and steel from 25 percent to 50 percent. This policy change represents a significant doubling of the existing ta...

Bitcoin continues to rise, reaching $80,000 for the first time in months

The price of Bitcoin has risen to over 80,000 dollars, marking its highest value since mid-May. This surge in interest follows recent interventions by the United States government in the bond market.