Although there is a lot to tell about Belgian foreign trade, most of the figures speak for themselves. The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency therefore provides a whole range of structured figures on Belgium's trade with other countries.
Top customers
With €52.0 billion, Germany remained our number one client after the first six months of 2023. However, exports to this country were down by 13.4% (€-8.1 billion) when compared to a year earlier. France was positioned in second place with exports amounting to €37.9 billion. In comparison to the first six months of 2022, exports had decreased by 3.9% (€-1.5 billion). Finally, Belgian exports to the Netherlands have fallen by 9.6% (€-3.9 billion) in value to €36.3 billion after the first semester of 2023.
Top suppliers
The Netherlands have maintained their position as the number one supplier of goods of Belgium. However, imports from this country decreased by 8.8% (€-4.7 billion) to €48.5 billion after the first six months of 2023. Germany remained in second place with imports amounting to €32.6 billion, which is a drop of 10.0% (€-3.6 billion) when compared to the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, France held on to third place with €26.7 billion (+2.5% or €+641.2 million).
Belgian Foreign Trade Study
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The different editions of the Belgian Foreign Trade study provide you with an overall picture of Belgian foreign trade in recent years. The visual design of these publications (in English) ensures that the figures are perfectly reflected.
World Trade Study
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The World Trade publication is drawn up based on the WTO’s figures. In addition to outlining the evolution of world trade, this publication also covers Belgium’s global ranking as an importer and exporter of goods and services.
Quarterly Brochures
The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency publishes a quarterly brochure with the main data on Belgium's foreign trade. This document provides information on the most important customers, suppliers, import and export products.
These brochures present quarterly figures. Monthly statistics are available upon request (see contact details).
2023
2022
2021
Belgium's Most Important Export Products
Belgium is an important transit point for Europe. However, Belgium also has its own range of products for export. In these documents you will find an overview of the main Belgian export products.
Useful links
The BFTA uses several primary sources to draw up its studies: the National Bank of Belgium, Eurostat, the World Trade Organization and others.
Need more information about statistics and Belgian trade? Contact:
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Christelle CharlierDirector - Studies and Statistics -
Dennis GijsbrechtsInternational Trade Analyst - Statistics -
