Belgium Import Trade Data: $403.2B in 2023, Down 12.7%

Belgium's Top Import Sources in 2023

Belgium imported $403.20 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a decline of 12.7% from the $461.79 billion recorded in 2022, the first annual pullback after two consecutive years of growth. The Netherlands was the largest source of Belgium's imports, supplying 21.7% of the total, worth $87.48 billion.

Germany ranked second at 13.1% ($52.69 billion), ahead of France at 11.7% ($47.02 billion) and the United States at 6.9% ($28.01 billion). Italy took fifth place at 4.1% ($16.61 billion), followed by the United Kingdom at 3.5% ($14.07 billion) and China at 3.4% ($13.78 billion). Ireland supplied 2.7% ($10.77 billion), Switzerland added 2.6% ($10.52 billion), and Norway rounded out the top ten at 2.3% ($9.37 billion). Together, the top three sources made up 46.4% of total import value.

The Netherlands' leading position, at nearly twice the share of second-ranked Germany, reflects the extremely close physical and logistical integration between the Belgian and Dutch ports along the Scheldt estuary, part of the wider Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp cluster that functions as one of Europe's largest integrated fuel, chemical, and cargo-handling hubs. Goods routinely cross the Belgian-Dutch border multiple times as raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished goods move between refineries, chemical plants, and distribution centers on both sides, which likely inflates the recorded Dutch share beyond what simple geographic proximity alone would suggest.

Beyond the top three, Belgium's remaining import sources span a mix of manufacturing and resource-supplying economies. Ireland's presence in the top ten, worth $10.77 billion, likely reflects pharmaceutical and chemical intermediates moving between two of Europe's largest pharmaceutical manufacturing and export hubs, complementing the pharmaceutical trade already visible on Belgium's export side. Norway's inclusion points to energy imports, consistent with mineral fuels ranking as Belgium's top import category, while Switzerland and China round out a supplier base that spans precision manufacturing and lower-cost industrial goods respectively. Even at tenth place, Norway's 2.3% share is substantial in absolute terms, worth more than $9 billion, a reminder of just how large Belgium's overall import bill is relative to the smaller percentage shares that make up most of the ranking below the top three.

Leading Import Categories

Mineral fuels, mineral oils, and related distillation products led all import categories in 2023, worth $68.40 billion and accounting for 17.0% of total import value. Vehicles and related parts and accessories followed at 12.4%, worth $49.92 billion, and pharmaceutical products ranked third at 12.0% ($48.30 billion).

Machinery and mechanical appliances added 7.2% ($29.02 billion), while electrical machinery and equipment contributed 7.2% ($28.98 billion). Organic chemicals brought in 4.7% ($18.82 billion), and plastics added 3.3% ($13.17 billion). Precious stones and metals contributed 3.2% ($12.97 billion), optical and medical instruments added 2.6% ($10.48 billion), and iron and steel closed out the top ten at 2.3% ($9.17 billion).

Mineral fuels topping the import list is consistent with Belgium's role as a major European oil refining center, anchored by facilities at the Port of Antwerp that include one of the continent's largest single refineries. A refining operation of that scale depends on a steady stream of imported crude oil and intermediate feedstocks, since Belgium itself produces negligible quantities of crude, meaning much of the mineral fuels import total likely feeds directly into the refined fuel products that also rank among Belgium's leading exports.

Pharmaceutical products ranking third among imports, worth $48.30 billion, mirrors the category's position as Belgium's single largest export, pointing to substantial intra-industry trade where active ingredients, intermediates, and partially finished pharmaceutical products move in both directions as part of integrated European and global manufacturing networks. Precious stones and metals appearing in the top ten on the import side as well reinforces Antwerp's role as a trading and processing center rather than a pure source of diamonds, since the city both imports rough and polished stones and exports them after cutting, polishing, or further trade. Electrical machinery and machinery are separated by only a tenth of a percentage point, a near-tie that suggests either could plausibly overtake the other in a future data update without changing the broader picture of Belgium's import base leaning heavily on industrial equipment.

A Decline After Two Years of Growth

The five-year trend shows imports dipping in 2020 before climbing for two consecutive years and then reversing in 2023. Imports moved from $318.71 billion in 2019 to $294.25 billion in 2020, then climbed to $393.95 billion in 2021 and further to $461.79 billion in 2022, before falling 12.7% to $403.20 billion in 2023. Even with that decline, the 2023 total remains above every year prior to 2022, leaving the broader five-year trajectory pointed upward despite the pullback in the most recent year.

This pattern is consistent with details from TotalEnergies, which describes its Antwerp facility as one of Europe's largest integrated refining and petrochemical platforms, underscoring the scale of crude and feedstock imports needed to sustain Belgium's refining and chemical manufacturing base. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.