Market Brief on Belgium
July 2016
Location
Facts and Figures
Total Population
11.2m
Area
30,528 sq km
Time Zone
Capital City
Brussels
International
Telephone Code
Currency
+32
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US
dollar - 0.7634
(2016 est.)
US$533
US$41,700
GDP (Dec 2015)
GDP per capita
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and
the Netherlands
Cities and Population
City
Brussels
Antwerp
Ghent
Charleroi
Liège
Bruges
Namur
Leuven
Mons
Aalst
POPULATION
1,019,022
459,805
231,493
200,132
182,597
116,709
106,284
92,892
91,277
77,534
Euro
GDP Growth
Rate (Sept 2015)
Ease of Doing
Business (World
Bank 2015)
Inflation Rate
(Dec 2015)
Official
Language(s)
Other
Languages
0.2%
Business Hours
0800 hrs-1700 hrs
Lunch 1300-1400 hrs
0900-1530 hrs
(weekdays)
0830-1200 (Sat)
Banking Hours
Literacy Rate
Measures
Important
International
Participation
43/189
1.5%
Dutch
French, German,
English
99%
Metric System
UN, WTO
Belgium Trade with the world
6.0
US$ Trillion
5.0
4.0
3.0
Exports
Imports
2011
5
5
2012
4
4
2013
5
5
2014
5
5
2015
4
4
Source: Trademap
Major import sources of Belgium (2015)
Major export destinations of Belgium (2015)
Na
16%
17%
29%
30%
15%
13%
2%
2%
2%
2%
9%
4%
2%
3%
4%
11%
5%
5%
5%
6%
9%
9%
Netherlands
Germany
France
Germany
France
Netherlands
USA
UK
Ireland
UK
USA
Italy
China
Italy
Russian
Spain
India
Poland
Japan
Other
China
Other
Source: Trademap
Source: Trademap
Major import products of Belgium (2015)
Major export products of Belgium (2015)
12%
11%
31%
10%
34%
11%
8%
10%
3%
3%
8%
3%
9%
4%
4%
4%
5%
7%
8%
4%
Mineral fuels
Vehicles
Pharmaceutical products
Organic chemicals
Machinery
Pearls
Electrical, electronic equipment
Plastics and articles thereof
Medical apparatus
Iron and steel
4%
7%
Pharmaceutical products
Vehicles
Mineral fuels, oils
Organic chemicals
Machinery
Plastics and articles thereof
Pearls
Iron and steel
Medical apparatus
Electrical, electronic equipment
Other
Other
Source: Trademap
Zimbabwe-Belgium Trade
140,000
120,000
100,000
US$'000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
(20,000)
Export
Import
Trade Balance
2011
9,234
9,819
(585)
2012
38,721
8,139
30,582
2013
69,171
18,396
50,775
2014
129,759
35,889
93,870
2015
58,842
26,933
31,909
Source: Trademap
Source: Trademap
Zimbabwe’s major exports to Belgium (2015)
Zimbabwe exports
to Belgium in 2015,
(US$’000)
Annual growth in
value between 20112015, %, p.a.
All products
Belgium Imports
from the World
in 2015
(US$’000)
63
58,842
379,123,999
Tobacco unmanufactured; tobacco refuse
156
51,021
883,763
Diamonds, not mounted or set
21
Mineral substances, nes
3,713
1,666
-21
15,606,858
98,545
Tea
1,107
7
78,817
Ferro-alloys
818
-
1,002,661
Meat and edible meat offal
119
-
117,028
Granite, porphyry, basalt, sandstone & other
monumental or building
117
106
35,884
Source: Trademap
Zimbabwe products with export potential to Belgium
 Fresh cut roses and buds, of a kind
suitable for bouquets or for ornaments
 Vegetable, fruit, nut, food preparations
 Edible fruit, nuts, peel of citrus fruit,
melons, avocadoes pineapples,
mangoes, avocadoes, guavas
 Wine of fresh grapes
 Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure
sucrose, in solid form
 Fish fillets and pieces, fresh, chilled or
frozen
 Tobacco, unmanufactured, partly or
wholly stemmed or stripped
 Tea
 Iron and steel articles
 Granite
 Diamonds
Zimbabwe's imports from Belgium (2015)
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
3%
1%
2%
6%
8%
75%
Pharmaceutical products
Machinery
Chemical products
Medical apparatus
Vehicles other than railway, tramway
Electrical, electronic equipment
Tools, implements, cutlery of base metal
Photographic or cinematographic goods
Essential oils, perfumes, cosmetics, toileteries
Organic chemicals
Other
Source: Trademap
Useful Addresses
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
11-12 Josephine Charlotte Square
1200 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 7625808
Fax: +32 2 7756510; 7795145
E-mail: [email protected] ;
[email protected]
Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
88 Five Avenue
P. O. Box HR1066
Harare
Tel: +263 4 792513
Fax: +263 4 792522
E-mail: [email protected]
International Chamber of Commerce
Rue des Sols 8 Stuiversstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 2 515 08 44
Fax: +32 2 515 09 35
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iccwbo.be
Preferential Trade Arrangements
Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA)
Zimbabwe
signed the
interim Economic
Partnership Agreement
(EPA) under the Eastern
and Southern African Bloc with the
European
Commission (EC) on 29 August 2009 together with three
other countries (Madagascar, Seychelles
and
Mauritius).
The interim EPA consolidates the duty free, quota-free
market access which the EU28 offers to all exports from
the four Eastern and Southern African States (ESA).The
ESA countries involved will gradually open their markets to
EU exports over 15 years, with some exceptions for
products that ESA countries consider sensitive.
For more information on trading under Interim Economic Partnership Agreement
refer to ZimTrade’s “Guide to Zimbabwe’s Trade Agreements”.