Dutch Factory Growth Hits Nearly 4-Year High

The Nevi Netherlands Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.9 in May 2026 from 54.4 in April, marking its highest level in nearly four years and signaling a further strengthening in factory activity. New orders increased at the fastest pace in over four years as customers built safety stocks and brought forward purchases amid supply chain disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict. Export demand also improved, though at a slower pace than overall orders. Stronger demand drove the fastest growth in manufacturing output in just over four years, prompting firms to raise purchasing activity at the quickest rate in four years and increase staffing levels. Supply chains remained under pressure, with delivery times lengthening at the sharpest pace since May 2022. Input cost inflation accelerated to a more than four-year high, while output price growth remained the strongest in over three-and-a-half years. Business confidence also improved, rising slightly above its historical average.

The Nevi Netherlands Manufacturing PMI rose to 54.4 in April 2026 from 52.0 in March, marking the highest since July 2022 and the eleventh month of expansion. New orders rose at the fastest pace in nearly two years as customers front-loaded purchases amid Middle East war-related supply disruptions. Export demand also improved modestly, with overseas orders rising at a nine-month high. Output expanded at the quickest pace in seven months as firms ramped up production, while employment declined for a second month as companies refrained from replacing departing staff. Supply chains deteriorated markedly, with delivery times lengthening at the fastest pace in nearly four years, prompting stronger purchasing activity and inventory building. Input cost inflation rose to a near four-year high, while output prices increased at the fastest pace in three-and-a-half years. Business confidence improved slightly but remained below the long-run average amid persistent inflation and supply concerns.

The Nevi Netherlands Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.0 in March 2026 from 50.8 in February, marking the strongest reading in six months. The increase reflected renewed growth in order books, supported by higher export sales, although overall demand remained modest. Output growth accelerated to the fastest pace since November 2025, with expansion broad-based across all three monitored sub-sectors and led by the investment goods category, partly to meet higher orders and build buffer stocks amid supply disruptions linked to the Middle East and longer delivery times. Supply pressures intensified, particularly for inputs from Asia, pushing input costs to a more than three-year high, with output prices also rising sharply to a similar multi-year peak. Employment dipped slightly, marking the first contraction in four months, as firms opted not to replace leavers or renew temporary contracts. Optimism softened below historical averages, though firms remained cautiously positive on new orders.