Business

Chemical multinational Dow has announced plans to cut 605 jobs in the Netherlands as part of a sweeping global restructuring effort. The cuts represent more than one-fifth of the company's total Dutch workforce, primarily impacting its massive chemical manufacturing hub in Terneuzen. While management is entering consultations to find socially responsible solutions, the broader corporate strategy aims to increase profitability through automation and fewer management layers.

Stephen van Rooyen will lead the new Ziggo Group while staying on as CEO of VodafoneZiggo. Liberty Global plans to complete the merger with Telenet this year and list the new company in Amsterdam next year. Jany Fruytier will join as Chief Financial Officer.

Employees can now lease more than one bicycle at the same reduced tax rate. The Tax and Customs Administration aligned the rules after concerns from leasing companies. The second bicycle must still meet business‑use requirements.

The European Union is set to unveil a new strategy to reduce its dependence on foreign technology providers for microchips, AI, and cloud services. The draft proposals include emergency powers to override contracts and fast-track local data centre infrastructure. These measures come amid growing concerns in Brussels over the dominant market share of American digital companies.

The Amsterdam AEX index dipped slightly by 0.2 per cent to close at 1,034.93 points on the final trading day of May, despite booking an overall monthly gain of more than 2 per cent. Construction firm BAM stole the spotlight in the MidCap index, surging 16.6 per cent after broker Oddo BHF upgraded the stock to a "buy" based on improved profitability in its UK operations. Elsewhere, ABN AMRO led the main index gains following the completion of its €250 million share buyback scheme, while Heineken dropped 2.3 per cent. Meanwhile, broader markets saw slight dips in London and Paris, and oil prices slid up to 1.9 per cent on hopes of a swift end to conflict in the Middle East.

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Dutch factory gate prices jumped 4.9 per cent year-on-year in April, up from a 1.4 per cent increase in March, driven by soaring oil prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. This sharp turnaround follows four months of falling prices, with North Sea Brent crude now costing 47 per cent more than it did last year. The surge has hit energy-intensive sectors hardest—sending petroleum product prices up 48.8 per cent and chemical prices up 11.6 per cent—and raises concerns that inflation will rise as manufacturers pass these higher costs on to consumers.

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), just over 13,700 new-build homes were finished in the first quarter of the year, marking a drop of roughly 1,800 compared with the same period last year. This slowdown is even more notable when compared to the end of 2025, when completions peaked at nearly 22,800. While overall housing stock grew by 13,400 homes due to a boost from property conversions, the pipeline looks mixed: building permits for new homes saw a healthy year-on-year rise to 23,500, yet actually dipped slightly compared to the previous quarter.

The European Commission is increasing scrutiny on online platforms such as Temu over alleged breaches of EU digital, consumer protection, and data privacy rules, including concerns linked to unsafe products, manipulative online practices, and the use of personal data.