Benelux & Ireland in February 2026: the most important developments in economy
In February 2026 the economic news from the Benelux countries and Ireland was dominated by corporate restructuring. On 11 February Heineken announced major job cuts as beer demand falls. Other consumer goods makers also reported weaker demand: Magnum ice cream sales declined, reviving concerns about the effect of weight-loss drugs on consumer spending.
Carmaker Stellantis made several announcements. On 6 February it sold its stake in an Ontario battery plant to LG Energy Solution for $100, and the Stellantis-backed battery venture ACC shelved plans for plants in Italy and Germany. On 26 February Stellantis reported a loss of 22 billion euros, largely due to a one-off charge, and warned of higher costs from potential US tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Earlier in the month Volkswagen and Stellantis urged EU policymakers to write "made-in-Europe" rules into an upcoming overhaul of industrial policy. The European Commission said electric vehicles must have at least 70% of their components made within the EU to qualify for state subsidies.
Shell was the subject of several reports. On 5 February it announced larger shareholder payouts through dividends and buybacks even though annual profit fell for a second year, and its chief executive called for further cost cuts. On 12 February the Financial Times reported that four partners had left EY after breaches identified in the audit of Shell. On 26 February Shell was reported to be reviewing parts of its Ventures portfolio, including investments in renewable power and hydrogen, with a view to a possible sale.
Several other items concerned technology and trade. Wingtech expressed strong dissatisfaction with the latest ruling by the Amsterdam Enterprise Chamber in the Nexperia case, and China urged the Netherlands to create favorable conditions for the semiconductor supply chain. ASML said its next-generation EUV lithography machines were ready for mass production. Mistral AI signed a partnership with Accenture. Dutch airline KLM announced it would suspend flights to Tel Aviv from 1 March. A poll showed a quarter of Belgians had reduced their purchases of American-made goods.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.