Foreign Threat: Netherlands mulls over protectionism

The announcement comes amid a surge in nationalist and protectionist sentiment in the country

AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands government said on Saturday that it was considering a law that would give Dutch public listed companies one year of “thinking time” during which they could freely reject any approach by a foreign buyer. The announcement by Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp comes amid a surge in nationalist and protectionist sentiment in the Netherlands. It also comes as US paint-maker PPG Industries seeks to buy Dutch rival Akzo Nobel with a €26.3 billion offer that is widely backed by the company’s foreign shareholder base, but opposed by the company’s Dutch-controlled board. Kamp has said a takeover of Akzo Nobel is not in the Dutch national interest.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2017.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.