Flemish exports amounted to 418bn euros last year
According to figures from Statistics Flanders, the export of goods from Flanders amounted to 418 billion euros in 2024. That is 3.7% less than in 2023, but still the third-highest export figure ever for the region. Flanders remains the fifth-largest exporter in the EU and the 15th-largest exporter in the world.
According to Statistics Flanders, the decline reflects a “slowdown in global trade”. “The main reason for the drop in Flemish exports is the decline in the export amount of oil and natural gas, organic chemicals, precious stones and diamonds,” stated the agency.
“This spread of export destinations within Europe makes Flanders extra resilient to additional trade tariffs from the United States"
Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, vehicles, chocolate and mineral products remain Flemish core pillars. The vast majority of Flemish exports, about 65 per cent, went to EU countries. Most went to neighbours such as Germany, the Netherlands and France. But other European countries are also gaining in importance. For instance, exports to Spain rose by 8.5 per cent and to Poland by 3.5 per cent.
“This spread of export destinations within Europe makes Flanders extra resilient to additional trade tariffs from the United States,” declared Flemish minister-president Matthias Diependaele. “Despite the protectionist course taken by the US, they remain our fifth export country, accounting for a 6.3 per cent share of our total exports."
“The ongoing geopolitical tensions are extra challenging for our companies, but Flanders has always been able to adapt very well to the international market in the past,” Diependaele added. “Above all, we must make sure we can continue to make our own ends meet and so the further reform of the internal market is very important to create new opportunities for our companies both inside and outside the EU.”
Flanders remains Belgium's export engine, accounting for as much as 82 per cent of Belgian exports. Flanders is the fifth-largest exporter in the EU and the 15th-largest exporter in the world.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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