ABN Amro is planning sweeping reductions in its commercial unit, Corporate & Institutional Bank (CIB), according to documents obtained by the Telegraaf and published on Tuesday.

Sources within the bank said the size of the unit may be cut by 50%, the paper said, adding that all parts of CIB have been under review for several months. Details are to be announced on Wednesday at the presentation of the bank’s first half earnings.

CIB finances multinationals, shipping, the diamond trade, commodities and energy and also manages IPOs, clearing operations and issues corporate bonds.

Despite overall growth, CIB generates revenues of only 5% while parent ABN Amro strives for 10% to 13%. In May the bank announced a strategic reorientation of the commercial division.

Bank chairman Kees van Dijkhuizen suggested to analysts that certain risk-bearing services would no longer be available to all bank customers but only to a select few. UBS analysts have estimated CIB generates 8% of group earnings but ties up 35% of capital.