After Audi: Brussels foreign trade in the first half of 2025
The closure of Audi Brussels in February 2025 has had a major impact on Brussels’ goods exports. How much did this affect the Region’s trade flows? Discover the key insights in our report on the first half of 2025.
While overall Belgian goods exports held steady in the first semester of 2025 (-1.3% compared to the same period in 2024), Brussels faced a sharp drop: -21.1%. The main reason? The closure of the Audi Brussels plant, which caused a collapse in transport equipment exports – one of the Region’s key export drivers in recent years.
Despite this steep decline, Brussels’ goods trade deficit slightly improved, shrinking from -€4.8 billion to -€4.4 billion. This is largely due to a likewise sharp drop in imports (-14%), which have historically outweighed exports.
Audi: a closure with long-term consequences
The shutdown of Audi Brussels’ assembly plant had an immediate and deep impact on transport equipment exports, which plunged by – 66% compared to the first half of 2024. Some telling figures:
- In the first half of 2021, transport equipment accounted for 53% of Brussels’ goods exports. Four years later, it’s down to just 11%.
- In just two years, exports of electric vehicles fell from €847 million to €9 million, between Q2 2023 and Q2 2025.
A loss unlikely to be offset in the short term. Repurposing the Audi site is therefore a key challenge for Brussels’ industrial redevelopment. A challenge that hub.brussels is closely examining through a prospective analysis carried out in collaboration with other Brussels public authorities.
In the absence of the automotive industry , chemicals and related products (especially pharmaceuticals) now lead the way in Brussels exports. They account for 45% of total goods exports – a welcome source of stability in a changing landscape.
Other sectors are holding their ground or even growing:
- +34% for precious metals, particularly gold
- +14% for food and beverages, driven by soaring chocolate exports (+74%)
- Conversely, exports of machinery, electrical equipment and textiles have dropped by around 30%.
Europe: still our strongest partner
Unsurprisingly, Europe remains the top destination for Brussels exports. In the first half of 2025, 90% of Brussels’ exports stayed within Europe – a 4 percentage point increase compared to the same period in 2024. The top five destinations: Germany, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Geographical proximity, market stability and the EU single market make these ideal trading partners.
Outside the EU, America remain present, but their share is shrinking. The near-total collapse of car exports to the US (-98%) explains much of this drop. That said, the US remains a key market for chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Services exports bouncing back
There’s good news on the services front too: Belgian service exports – with Brussels accounting for a quarter – bounced back in the first half of 2025 (+6.2%) after a slump in the same period of 2024. Sectors like telecoms, IT, transport and business services grew from 4% to 10%.
Key markets? Mostly our four neighbouring countries, along with the US, Switzerland, Ireland and the UK.
Want to go further?
Our report on Brussels foreign trade in H1 2025 offers a detailed analysis of trade flows by sector, market and product type. Perfect to fine-tune your international strategy.
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