Helping Belgian companies regain market share around the world Interview with Mrs Fabienne L'HOOST, Director General of the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency
posts around the world and regional export promotion agencies, our mobile platform Trade4U enables Belgian companies to be informed in real time of international business opportunities in foreign markets for their products or services.
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ould you tell us about the economic missions planned for 2020 and 2021? In this particular year, our action plan had to be completely reorganised. Initially, Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid should have presided over an economic mission to the Republic of Senegal in June 2020 and another to the Commonwealth of Australia in October 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic decided otherwise. © Belgian Foreign Trade Agency
This is why, in these unprecedented times, in agreement with our institutional partners, we have deemed it appropriate to organise three rather than two economic missions next year as an exceptional measure. Indeed, the 2021 programme includes the following princely economic missions: a first one to the Republic of Senegal in June, a second one to the United Kingdom in September and a third one to the United States of America in October. Finally, with regard to the 2022 action plan, Japan (first half of the year) and the Commonwealth of Australia (second half of the year) should be the countries of destination for the Belgian delegation.
In this particular year, the application has been given a new look. From now on, subscribing companies will be able to request complete files for each business opportunity and even search for business partners to form consortia to successfully respond to a foreign public tender or project. Finally, economic and legal information relating to foreign trade is also disseminated via the Trade4U application.
In addition, a free 3-month subscription has been offered from 1 October to all companies registered in the Foreign Trade Agency's exporters' file; these companies will therefore be able to benefit from public international trade opportunities tailored to their markets and sectors of activity. We hope that this tool will help Belgian companies to regain market share around the world following the COVID-19 crisis.
How did the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency use the Trade4U package in this very specific year? Despite the difficult times we are going through, the Agency does not lack resources to support Belgian companies. Indeed, thanks to the close collaboration with the Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic
In your opinion, which sectors and markets do you see as promising for Belgian exporters in the short and medium term? Foreign trade has always been of paramount importance for the Belgian economy. In 2019, total Belgian exports amounted to 397 billion euros, an increase of 0.1% (+ 437 million euros) compared to 2018. Although Belgian products and services are exported to the four corners of the globe, our neighbouring countries remain our preferred trading partners.
© Belgian Foreign Trade Agency
In 2019, chemical products were still the leading export of Belgian goods, with a share of 25.1%. Exports of these products totalled 99.5 billion euros in 2019, 2.7% more than in the previous year. In the midst of the global health crisis, exports of such products are also likely to rise in 2020.
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Transport equipment is the second most important export with a share of 12.8%. Exports of this type of product amounted to €50.9 billion in 2019, a significant increase of 10.4% compared to 2018. Machinery and equipment ranked third in the same year with a share of 10.5% and an amount of 41.9 billion euros (+2.6%). Finally, fourth and fifth places were occupied respectively by mineral products (8.8% share for €35.1 billion exported) and plastic products (7.8% share for €31.1 billion exported).
