"The country of 11 million people with three official languages is the UK’s 6th largest trading partner in the world, with UK exports worth £12.7bn in 2012 – more than India and China put together", according to the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium
Compact, close and affluent, Belgium is a great starting point to build business across all of Europe. It’s just over two hours by Eurostar from London to Brussels or a short and hassle free hop from the wonderful London City Airport to Antwerp. “It is an ideal place for the first time exporter and a great stepping stone to the rest of Europe” says Jonathan Brenton, HM Ambassador to Belgium, “English is widely accepted, and there are quick and easy communications and connections with the UK and the rest of mainland Europe”.
Belgium: a marketplace full of opportunities
As a market place, Belgium is full of opportunities, especially for small and medium-sized business. Belgians value good life and place a premium on non-price factors such as design, quality, delivery, and after sales service. British exports to Belgium powered ahead by 9% over the past year, the highest increase for any EU market.
Key sectors include chemicals, ICT, renewable energy and healthcare. With a turnover of € 37 406 million in 2010 employing some 72,000 people within over 5,000 companies, the Belgian food & drink industry is one of the pivot industries in Belgium. Belgium is also the second largest per capita producer of food & drink products. In spite of the crisis the Belgian food industry has grown by 6.2%. Because of its openness large international companies see Belgium often as a good test market for their products. The Belgian life sciences sector includes over 250 companies and 24,000 people. All segments (fundamental research, manufacturing, clinical development, in vitro diagnostics, medical and diagnostic devices) are well represented. Most of these companies are active in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, but also in agro-biotech and industrial biotech there are companies with strong expertise.
And it’s not just British goods that do well here but a whole range of high value business and financial services. British experts and companies are leading players in legal and accounting services, creative & media, and also the public affairs and public relations business in Brussels. A Cushman & Wakefield study on the leading European cities for business put Brussels in 4th position, behind only London, Paris and Frankfurt (“European Cities Monitor”, 2010). Belgium consistently ranks within the world’s top five nations in terms of imports and exports per capita, and thanks to its central European location and multi-lingual workforce, is Europe’s number one distribution location.
As well as being an attractive and open market in its own right, it is a great starting place to develop business across the rest of Europe. Belgium has excellent connections across Europe, but particularly with its close neighbours Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe, with a huge global reach, while the port of Oostende provides rapid access to inland Europe via well developed infrastructure. The port of Oostende also has specialist facilities for heavy duty bulk cargo, meaning they can meet all of your shipping needs.
Chamber’s partnership with UK Government
United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the British Embassy already provide expert assistance to British exporters and now the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium (the fastest growing British Chamber in Europe!) is working with them to launch new trade initiatives for UK companies. “The Chamber’s partnership with UK Government is a great example of how business can work with the public sector to provide a better joined up service for UK businesses” says Glynis Whiting, President of the British Chamber in Belgium.
More info: http://www.britcham.be
Contact : Ms Joanna De Keyser, Business Development Executive, [email protected]
By: N. Peter Kramer
