Bèlgica: Visió econòmica i política
The Belgian economy is particularly open, with foreign trade representing 193% of GDP (World Bank, latest data available). In addition to being considered an export champion (8th in the world rank - WTO), Belgium plays an important role as a transit and distribution centre for other countries in the European Union. According to data from the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, the majority of exports comprise chemical products (27.7%), mineral products (18.3%), transport equipment (8.6%), machinery and equipment (8.4%), base metals (7.3%), and plastics (7%). The main imports are chemical products (24.5%), mineral products (23.2%), machinery and equipment (10.8%), transport equipment (9.1%) and base metals (6.6% - data on 2022).
Belgium's role as a regional logistical hub makes its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with EU trading partners (who accounted for 68% of exports and 58.5% of imports in 2022). Germany remained the first customer (21.2%) in 2022, followed by the Netherlands (13.8%), France (13.1%), and the U.S. (5.8%). The main suppliers were the Netherlands (25.4%), Germany (15.9%), France (12.7%), China and the United States (8.2% each - data Belgian Foreign Trade Agency).
According to WTO data, in 2022 exports amounted to USD 635.2 billion, while imports reached USD 623.6 billion. Exports of services totalled USD 139.4 billion, as imports stood at USD 143.5 billion. The country’s trade balance is traditionally positive when including services; however, the overall external trade balance was negative by around 1.6% of GDP in 2022 (from a surplus of 1.8% one year earlier - World Bank). According to the latest data from the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, in the period Jan-Sep 2023 Belgium exported EUR 396.3 billion and imported EUR 385.1 billion (down by 12.3% and 12.6% year-on-year, respectively). During the period, the EU accounted for 59.8% of total exports and 55.3% of imports.
Foreign Trade Values | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Imports of Goods (million USD) | 455,188 | 428,878 | 397,957 | 527,128 | 623,686 |
Exports of Goods (million USD) | 468,213 | 446,910 | 421,842 | 548,869 | 635,245 |
Imports of Services (million USD) | 124,108 | 124,500 | 118,938 | 136,152 | 143,566 |
Exports of Services (million USD) | 124,423 | 123,667 | 120,875 | 137,647 | 139,426 |
Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data
Foreign Trade Indicators | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 166.5 | 164.2 | 157.2 | 172.6 | 193.1 |
Trade Balance (million USD) | -2,004 | 4,176 | 7,037 | 5,014 | -18,064 |
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | -1,651 | 3,344 | 8,876 | 6,605 | -21,996 |
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 2.0 | 2.0 | -5.6 | 10.7 | 4.9 |
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | 1.1 | 2.4 | -5.0 | 11.3 | 5.1 |
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 83.4 | 81.8 | 77.7 | 85.8 | 97.7 |
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 83.1 | 82.4 | 79.4 | 86.8 | 95.3 |
Source: World Bank ; Latest available data
Foreign Trade Forecasts | 2023 | 2024 (e) | 2025 (e) | 2026 (e) | 2027 (e) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) | -1.2 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) | -0.3 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2022 |
Germany | 20.1% |
Netherlands | 14.2% |
France | 12.5% |
United States | 6.8% |
United Kingdom | 5.1% |
Italy | 3.8% |
Spain | 2.6% |
Poland | 2.2% |
Japan | 2.1% |
Luxembourg | 1.7% |
Nigeria | 1.7% |
India | 1.5% |
Sweden | 1.5% |
China | 1.4% |
Switzerland | 1.2% |
Türkiye | 1.2% |
United Arab Emirates | 0.9% |
Czech Republic | 0.8% |
Austria | 0.8% |
Denmark | 0.7% |
See More Countries | 41.3% |
Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2022 |
Netherlands | 21.1% |
Germany | 11.9% |
France | 10.7% |
United Kingdom | 6.4% |
United States | 5.4% |
Italy | 4.4% |
Norway | 3.8% |
Ireland | 3.7% |
China | 3.4% |
Russia | 2.4% |
Japan | 1.9% |
Spain | 1.9% |
Switzerland | 1.9% |
Poland | 1.5% |
Qatar | 1.4% |
Sweden | 1.4% |
India | 1.2% |
Czech Republic | 1.0% |
Singapore | 0.8% |
Canada | 0.8% |
See More Countries | 44.5% |
Source: Comtrade, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Source: Comtrade, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
To go further, check out our service Import Export Flows.
129.7 bn USD of services exported in 2022 | |
39.61% | |
Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 31.21% |
Research and developmentResearch and development | 8.40% |
Other business servicesOther business services | 1.31% |
24.48% | |
14.21% | |
5.35% | |
4.44% | |
3.53% | |
2.81% | |
2.63% | |
1.90% | |
1.04% |
136.7 bn USD of services imported in 2022 | |
38.09% | |
Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 30.50% |
Research and developmentResearch and development | 7.60% |
Other business servicesOther business services | 1.10% |
24.41% | |
11.95% | |
11.88% | |
4.81% | |
3.29% | |
2.37% | |
2.30% | |
0.87% | |
0.03% |
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Vols fer algun comentari sobre aquest contingut? Escriu-nos.
© eexpand, Tots els drets reservats.
Actualitzacions: April 2024
Utilitzem cookies per assegurar la teva connexió i fer estadístiques sobre el nombre de visites. Per obtenir més informació sobre les cookies i saber com rebutjar-les, visita la nostra pàgina de política de cookies .
Aquesta finestra emergent et permet definir la teva preferència de cookies i decidir quin tipus de cookies vols permetre al teu dispositiu.