Economy News in English
Latest economy headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Belgium strikes: flights cancelled and transport chaos expected
Nationwide strikes in Belgium against austerity measures have led to the cancellation of all flights at Charleroi and Brussels airports. Authorities have also warned of significant transportation chao...
Many Dutch entrepreneurs see Trump's policies as biggest risk
Dutch entrepreneurs doing business internationally identify US President Donald Trump's trade policies as their most significant geopolitical challenge. Approximately half of these business owners rep...
Experts: accelerate energy transition and keep Groningen gas as a safety net
A group of 22 safety and energy experts recommends that the Netherlands accelerate its energy transition to reduce reliance on foreign energy imports. The experts suggest maintaining the Groningen gas...
Housing associations slam municipality: Bloemendaal is not a state within a state
Housing corporations Brederode Wonen and Pré Wonen have criticized the municipality of Bloemendaal for failing to increase its social housing stock. The organizations emphasized that Bloemendaal must...
Forty North Holland and Flevoland council groups demand end to expat tax breaks: 'Excessive pressure on housing market'
Forty local council factions from North Holland and Flevoland, led by Haarlem's PvdA, are calling on the Dutch Parliament to end the 30% tax break for expats. The group argues that the incentive place...
The most expensive petrol is in Wieringermeer, the cheapest in Amsterdam. These are the most affordable gas stations in North Holland
As fuel prices rise significantly, a report by Noordhollands Dagblad identifies Amsterdam as having the cheapest petrol in the province of North Holland. The study highlights the most affordable gas s...
US releases 172 million barrels of oil from strategic reserve
The United States will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve over a 120-day period starting next week. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the move, which marks a sign...
Faster green transition makes the Netherlands more resilient to war
A group of 23 experts in energy and security argues that the Netherlands must accelerate its transition to sustainable energy to enhance national security and independence. They warn that in a world o...
Fuel tax cut would solve nothing structurally: ‘Inefficient blunt instrument’
In response to rising fuel prices caused by the conflict in Iran, Dutch politicians are increasingly calling for a reduction in gasoline excise duties. However, TNO researcher Peter Mulder warns that ...
Increasing share of Amsterdam region residents' income spent on housing costs
Netherlands once again doing too little to improve nature
A new report released on Thursday indicates that the Dutch government is failing to take sufficient action to improve nature quality in the Netherlands. Although some progress has been made, it remain...
Trump says he will release oil from US strategic reserve
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to release oil from the United States' strategic reserve. He expects that this action will help lower fuel prices for consumers.
Volkswagen misses out on billions, and that is good news for car buyers: Prices are going down
Volkswagen Group reported a 44 percent drop in profits to 6.9 billion euros, marking its worst performance since the emissions scandal. Despite the financial decline, the company remains stable, and c...
Anti-money laundering checks cost banks 1.6 billion in 2024, but results are unclear
An investigation by the Netherlands Court of Audit reveals that anti-money laundering checks cost banks 1.6 billion euros in 2024, though their effectiveness remains unclear. The report highlights tha...
Box 3 overhaul raises eyebrows in Parliament
The Dutch House of Representatives is expressing frustration and skepticism following Finance Minister Eelco Heinen's announcement that the recently approved wealth tax (box 3) legislation must be adj...
Scammers target 6,000 Bastion Hotels guests with stolen information
Scammers targeted approximately 6,000 guests of the Bastion Hotels chain with phishing messages after obtaining their personal information. The data breach was triggered when an employee clicked on a ...
Saving energy is simple, says tipster Saskia. Defrosting in the fridge is cheaper
Saskia Buurman from Soest has provided simple energy-saving tips to the Ombudsteam to help people manage rising energy costs. Her suggestions include effortless methods such as defrosting food inside ...
Middle-income earners squeezed in Amsterdam rental market
Middle-income earners in Amsterdam are increasingly struggling in the rental market due to rising prices and a declining supply of private rental properties. A biennial housing report by the city indi...
More social housing in Amsterdam, affordable housing remains scarce
Amsterdam added approximately 12,000 new homes over the past two years to increase its housing supply. Despite this growth, affordable housing remains scarce and difficult for many residents to find i...
The Netherlands to release part of its emergency fuel and oil reserves
The Netherlands is set to release a portion of its strategic oil and fuel reserves in response to rising prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East. This action is part of a coordinated effort b...
Netherlands releases part of oil reserves to dampen prices: 5.4 million barrels
The Netherlands and more than thirty other countries decided on Wednesday to release part of their strategic oil reserves to help lower global oil prices. As part of this International Energy Agency i...
D66 shares opposition concerns over impact of WIA cuts
The Dutch political party D66 has joined opposition parties in expressing concern over proposed budget cuts to social security, which are expected to impact disabled and chronically ill citizens. Duri...
State Secretary considers higher salary for prison staff
State Secretary Claudia van Bruggen is investigating the possibility of a separate collective labor agreement for prison staff to allow for higher salaries. Currently, employees of the Custodial Insti...
Council of State overturns proposal to limit Schiphol flights
The Dutch Council of State has annulled a government proposal to reduce the number of flights at Schiphol Airport, ruling that the plan was insufficiently justified. The court stated it was not convin...
KLM cancels all flights to Dubai until March 28
KLM has cancelled all flights to Dubai until March 28th due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The airline will not fly to the destination for the time being as a result of the regional secur...
Middle East war costs European taxpayers an extra 3 billion euros
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the first ten days of the war in the Middle East cost European taxpayers an additional €3 billion in fossil fuel imports. The conflict ...
Karremans: Utrecht Ring Road ruling bad news for housing construction
The Dutch Council of State has blocked the planned widening of the Utrecht ring road, prompting a disappointed response from Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karremans. Karremans warned that the decisi...
Iran now also sees banks and tech companies as targets in war
Iran has declared financial institutions and technology companies with ties to the United States and Israel as potential military targets. An Iranian military spokesperson stated that this move follow...
Grid operator Alliander invests billions, but power grid remains full
Grid operator Alliander is investing billions to expand the power grid, yet the number of companies waiting for connections continues to increase. Although the operator helped nearly two thousand cust...
Fish, fertilizer or mortgages: everything more expensive due to high oil prices
The war in the Middle East is driving up oil prices, resulting in higher costs for a wide range of products including fuel, bricks, and fertilizer. These economic impacts are expected to be widespread...