That dollar metric results from a 31.1% increase from $395.9 billion in Belgian spending on imports 5 years earlier in 2020.
From 2023 to 2024, the total value of Belgium’s imports fell by -5.8% compared to $550.9 billion.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Belgium’s official currency is the euro which flatlined via a 0.02% gain against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. The weaker European Union currency in 2024 made Belgium’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive when converted starting from euros.
Main Suppliers for Belgian Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 76.5% of products imported by Belgium was supplied by exporters in: Netherlands (20.6% of the Belgian total), Germany (12.2%), France (10.1%), mainland China (6.8%), United States of America (6.7%), Ireland (3.92%), Italy (3.87%), United Kingdom (3.5%), Spain (2.6%), Switzerland (2.12%), Japan (2.09%) and Sweden (2.04%).
Applying a continental lens, 70.5% of Belgium’s total imports by value was purchased from fellow European countries. Trade partners located in Asia accounted for 17.1% of Belgian import purchases while another 8.1% worth of goods originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from suppliers in Africa (2.7%), Latin America (1.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Belgium is a member of the European Union. Approaching two-thirds (62.5%) of Belgian imports came from EU-member suppliers.
Given Belgium’s population of 11.8 million people, its total $519.1 billion in 2024 imports translates to roughly $44,000 in yearly product demand from every person in the European Union country. That dollar metric lags the $47,100 per capita one year earlier in 2023.
Belgium’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Belgium’s import purchases during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Belgium.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$80.3 billion (15.5% of total imports)
- Pharmaceuticals: $65.4 billion (12.6%)
- Vehicles: $62.6 billion (12.1%)
- Machinery including computers: $37.7 billion (7.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $30.4 billion (5.9%)
- Organic chemicals: $26.8 billion (5.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $20.4 billion (3.9%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $14.8 billion (2.9%)
- Iron, steel: $13.8 billion (2.7%)
- Other chemical goods: $11.5 billion (2.2%)
Belgium’s top 10 imports exceeded two-thirds (70.1%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Growth imported product group was for miscellaneous chemical products (up 8.2% from 2023) ahead of Belgian imports of optical, technical or medical apparatus (up 2.8%).
Double-digit declining product categories were Belgium’s imports of organic chemicals (down -22.3% from 2023), electrical machinery and equipment (down -14.3%), then mineral fuels including oil (down -10.8%).
Belgium’s Top Imports of Mineral Fuels Including Oil
In 2024, Belgian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$30.8 billion (down -1.5% from 2023)
- Crude oil: $24.1 billion (up 4.1%)
- Petroleum gases: $17 billion (down -36.2%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $4.6 billion (up 2.6%)
- Electrical energy: $1.8 billion (down -6.7%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $907.7 million (down -24.8%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $413.4 million (down -14.2%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $338.4 million (down -22%)
- Distilled tar: $81.7 million (down -37.2%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $65.2 million (down -31.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Belgian purchases of crude oil (up 4.1%) and high-temperature distilled coal tar oils (up 2.6%) grew from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related imports among Belgian businesses and consumers.
Belgium’s Top Imports of Pharmaceuticals
In 2024, Belgian importers spent the most on the following subcategories of pharmaceuticals-related products.
- Blood fractions (including antisera): US$28.8 billion (down -23.8% from 2023)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $28.2 billion (up 2.6%)
- Medication mixes not in dosage: $6.2 billion (up 60.9%)
- Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods: $1.6 billion (up 6.9%)
- Packaged dressings: $431.7 million (down -0.01%)
- Dried organs, heparin: $178.1 million (down -12%)
Among these import subcategories, Belgian purchases of medication mixes not in dosage (up 60.9%), sutures and special pharmaceutical goods (up 6.9%) then medication mixes in dosage (up 2.6%) grew from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of pharmaceuticals-related imports among Belgian businesses and consumers.
Belgium’s Top Imports of Automotive Products
In 2024, Belgian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles-related products.
- Cars: US$43.4 billion (up 0.3% from 2023)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $8.7 billion (down -14.1%)
- Trucks: $4.7 billion (down -9.2%)
- Tractors: $1.6 billion (down -26.9%)
- Motorcycles: $1.3 billion (down -0.4%)
- Trailers: $711.8 million (down -13.4%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $573.1 million (up 66.6%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $370.6 million (up 379.7%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $360 million (down -9.5%)
- Automobile bodies: $299.4 million (down -5.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Belgian purchases of armored vehicles including tanks (up 379.7%), public-transport vehicles (up 66.6%) then cars (up 0.3%) grew from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of vehicles-related imports among Belgian businesses and consumers.
Belgium’s Top Imports of Machinery Including Computers
In 2024, Belgian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$5 billion (up 26.6% from 2023)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $2.7 billion (up 2.7%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $2.3 billion (down -29.8%)
- Turbo-jets: $1.7 billion (up 30%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.53 billion (down -1.9%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1.52 billion (up 5.9%)
- Machinery parts: $1.36 billion (down -6.8%)
- Pneumatic hand tools: $1.31 billion (up 43.2%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $1.25 billion (down -0.9%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.21 billion (up 17%)
Among these import subcategories, Belgian purchases of pneumatic hand tools (up 43.2%), turbo-jets (up 30%) then computers including optical readers (up 26.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2023 to 2024.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery including computers among Belgian businesses and consumers.
See also Belgium’s Top 10 Exports, Belgium’s Top Trading Partners, Germany’s Top Trading Partners and France’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on October 3, 2025
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on October 3, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 3, 2025