Dutch brewers and hospitality organisations said planned beer excise increases in 2027 would widen the price gap with Belgium and Germany and encourage consumers in border regions to buy beer abroad. Loes de Jong of brewery De Voorkomst in Fijnaart said smaller brewers would struggle to compete and invest in new products. A shop in Essen said about 60% of its customers came from the Netherlands, while customers cited substantial price differences between beer bought on either side of the border.

Dutch Brewers, CRAFT and Koninklijke Horeca Nederland are due to present a petition to the Dutch House of Representatives on 3 November calling on the cabinet to abandon the increase. The brewers said Dutch beer excise duty was already higher than in Belgium and Germany, where they said beer would not face a comparable increase.