Business News in English

Latest business headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.

Many Western companies have left, but new Spar stores are still opening in Moscow: ‘Difficult situation’
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Many Western companies have left, but new Spar stores are still opening in Moscow: ‘Difficult situation’

Despite EU sanctions against Russia, Spar supermarkets continue to operate and even open new locations within the country. The Dutch-based retail chain claims it is unable to terminate existing contra...

Shortage of ferry operators a major problem: 33 vacancies and staff departures looming
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Shortage of ferry operators a major problem: 33 vacancies and staff departures looming

Public transport operator GVB is facing a significant shortage of ferry skippers, with 33 vacancies and an expected increase in departures due to retirement. This staffing crisis has recently caused s...

Supermarket chain Lidl hacked: customer phone numbers and email addresses stolen
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Supermarket chain Lidl hacked: customer phone numbers and email addresses stolen

Supermarket chain Lidl has confirmed that hackers gained access to customer data, including phone numbers and email addresses. The company has notified the Dutch Data Protection Authority, although th...

Housing shortage requires not just more homes but also better choices
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Housing shortage requires not just more homes but also better choices

While new housing construction in the Netherlands has reached its highest level since 2015, sales of these properties have declined by approximately 7 percent. Real estate experts argue that the natio...

New advisory board must ensure higher national labor productivity
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New advisory board must ensure higher national labor productivity

The Dutch government has established an independent advisory board tasked with increasing national labor productivity. This initiative aims to address economic efficiency across the country.

ING customers experience much less discrimination, but the problem is not solved
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ING customers experience much less discrimination, but the problem is not solved

ING customers with minority ethnic backgrounds continue to report experiencing discrimination during bank compliance checks aimed at preventing money laundering and terrorism financing. However, the b...

Ounahi's market value is only 10 million. Perhaps one for Ajax? He is better than Steur
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Ounahi's market value is only 10 million. Perhaps one for Ajax? He is better than Steur

How Amsterdam-based travel app Polarsteps became an international hit: travel the world and let your friends follow along
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How Amsterdam-based travel app Polarsteps became an international hit: travel the world and let your friends follow along

Potentially carcinogenic substance in squishy dumpling toys, bol stops sales
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Potentially carcinogenic substance in squishy dumpling toys, bol stops sales

Online retailer bol and candy store chain Jamin have halted sales of popular squishy dumpling toys following research by a Flemish toxicologist. The study suggests the products may contain potentially...

Dozens of ships pass through Strait of Hormuz despite attacks
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Dozens of ships pass through Strait of Hormuz despite attacks

Despite recent attacks on vessels, dozens of ships continue to transit the Strait of Hormuz daily. While traffic remains significantly lower than levels recorded before the start of the conflict in th...

Day of reckoning looms for Volkswagen: 100,000 jobs at risk and possible closure of German factories
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Day of reckoning looms for Volkswagen: 100,000 jobs at risk and possible closure of German factories

Volkswagen is facing significant backlash after announcing plans to cut 100,000 jobs and potentially close four German factories to reduce costs. Hundreds of employees have staged protests against the...

End of textbooks in the recycling bin? Schools join new publisher en masse
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End of textbooks in the recycling bin? Schools join new publisher en masse

Over 1,500 schools in the Netherlands have joined a new publishing cooperative called Neon to replace traditional textbooks. This initiative aims to reduce the significant amount of paper waste caused...

End of daily mail: PostNL to take two days from now on
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End of daily mail: PostNL to take two days from now on

Starting this weekend, PostNL will extend its standard delivery time for letters from one day to two days in the Netherlands. Customers who require faster delivery can still opt for a separate, higher...

Volkswagen to cut costs and aims to scrap half of its model range
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Volkswagen to cut costs and aims to scrap half of its model range

Volkswagen plans to significantly restructure its operations by reducing its overall product range by approximately 50 percent. The strategy impacts brands within the Volkswagen Group, including Audi,...

Average rental home requires monthly income of 5,650 euros
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Average rental home requires monthly income of 5,650 euros

Rental prices in the private sector in the Netherlands rose during the second quarter compared to last year. Data from housing platforms indicates that more than forty percent of these rental properti...

Danish fine for KLM of 400,000: they are not that green
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Danish fine for KLM of 400,000: they are not that green

The Copenhagen City Court has fined KLM 400,000 euros for misleading sustainability advertising. The court ruled that the airline's claims regarding environmentally friendly operations were not substa...

Amsterdam patron and businessman Alex Mulder (79): 'Stepping over corpses to become a millionaire is pathetic'
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Amsterdam patron and businessman Alex Mulder (79): 'Stepping over corpses to become a millionaire is pathetic'

Are Amsterdam rubber duck shops all money laundering fronts or is that a cliché? 'I still have questions about some shops'
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Are Amsterdam rubber duck shops all money laundering fronts or is that a cliché? 'I still have questions about some shops'

New Eurostar trains must be able to withstand extremely high temperatures
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New Eurostar trains must be able to withstand extremely high temperatures

Eurostar is modifying its new high-speed trains to withstand temperatures of up to 55 degrees Celsius. This measure is being taken to ensure service reliability as extreme summer heat becomes more com...

Shift in Haarlem labor market: most jobs now in business services
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Shift in Haarlem labor market: most jobs now in business services

The labor market in Haarlem has undergone a significant shift, with the business services sector now providing the most jobs. This represents a change from a decade ago, when the healthcare sector was...

Schiphol security guard gets behind the wheel under the influence shortly after work
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Schiphol security guard gets behind the wheel under the influence shortly after work

A security guard working at Schiphol Airport was caught driving under the influence shortly after finishing her shift. Despite the incident, her employer is legally restricted from immediately termina...

Neighborhood organization De Groene Hub receives 300,000 euro subsidy from municipality
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Neighborhood organization De Groene Hub receives 300,000 euro subsidy from municipality

The Amsterdam municipality has granted a one-time subsidy of 300,000 euros to the neighborhood organization De Groene Hub to prevent it from ceasing operations. The organization, which focuses on sust...

Tenfold increase in penalty for ICL fertilizer plant accused of 'calculating' behavior
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Tenfold increase in penalty for ICL fertilizer plant accused of 'calculating' behavior

Ajax talent Sean Steur (18) joins Newcastle United for a massive fee
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Ajax talent Sean Steur (18) joins Newcastle United for a massive fee

18-year-old Ajax midfielder Sean Steur is transferring to Newcastle United in a deal worth approximately 27 million euros including bonuses. The English Premier League club reached an agreement with A...

Trade with Russia and a gambler with tons of cash: how ABN Amro went (again) expensively wrong
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Trade with Russia and a gambler with tons of cash: how ABN Amro went (again) expensively wrong

ABN Amro has been fined 8.5 million euros by De Nederlandsche Bank for recurring anti-money laundering failures. The regulator cited the bank's over-reliance on client statements and its failure to pr...

Amsterdam must seek alternatives to US big tech, warns UvA professor: If the cloud goes down tomorrow, a large part of operations will grind to a halt
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Amsterdam must seek alternatives to US big tech, warns UvA professor: If the cloud goes down tomorrow, a large part of operations will grind to a halt

Parcel delivery service ordered to halt operations by Labor Inspectorate
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Parcel delivery service ordered to halt operations by Labor Inspectorate

A package delivery service in North Holland has been ordered by the Labor Inspectorate to halt operations for one week. The inspection found that the company was employing individuals from outside Eur...

Energy consumption has dropped significantly over the past quarter-century, but the decline has stagnated in recent years
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Energy consumption has dropped significantly over the past quarter-century, but the decline has stagnated in recent years

Energy consumption in the Netherlands has decreased significantly over the past 25 years despite population growth. However, this downward trend has stagnated in recent years, with little change in co...

Good business from Moroccan World Cup fever: rush on shirts and cakes
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Good business from Moroccan World Cup fever: rush on shirts and cakes

Local businesses in the Bos en Lommer neighborhood of Amsterdam are experiencing a significant surge in sales for cakes and shirts ahead of the World Cup quarter-final between Morocco and France. Resi...

Pump prices rise again due to escalating violence between Iran and US, fueling significantly higher costs in Belgium
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Pump prices rise again due to escalating violence between Iran and US, fueling significantly higher costs in Belgium

Fuel prices in the Netherlands increased on Thursday following a sharp rise in global oil prices. This surge was triggered by escalating tensions between Iran and the United States in the Middle East.