The Damen Group (Damen Holding B.V.) is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, South Holland, the Netherlands. Though it is a major international group doing business in 120 countries, it remains a private family-owned company.
Stop supplying ships to Russia, halt new contracts.
Damen halts delivery of newbuilds to Russia. The Netherlands’ largest shipbuilder is suing the Dutch government for losses inflicted on its business by sanctions against Russia, a rare instance of a European company taking its grievances to court over the corporate fallout from the invasion of Ukraine. “Before the sanctions, Damen had signed contracts with Russian ship buyers, and after the invasion of Ukraine the Dutch government decided that such contracts may not be honored by the Dutch business community.” Through intermediaries in Turkey and Hong Kong, Russia reportedly bypassed the sanctions to source parts for Damen’s crab-fishing vessels. Import data suggests that at least some of these components originated from Damen or were sourced through its supply chain.