Ben de Smit, Economic and Commercial Counsellor at Belgium Embassy presented Belgium as a place to do business to Cambridgeshire exporters.

1. Welcome
Doing Business in Belgium Ben De Smit Economic and Commercial Counsellor Embassy of Belgium in London
1

2. Why trade with Belgium?
1.Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
2.Strategic location in Europe
3.Lucrative market opportunities
4.Easy access for SME’s
2
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

3. Why trade with Belgium?
1.Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
2.Strategic location in Europe
3.Lucrative market opportunities
4.Easy access for SME’s
3
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

4. Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
1.Historic and cultural affinity between our nations
2.Impressive trade between UK and Belgium
3.Inspiring investments in each other’s countries
4.Belgians have export expertise to share
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

5. mmemoration of Great War
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location
Historic and cultural affinity between our nations

6. Unveiling of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location
•Created with soil taken from the 70 battlefields and First World War Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries in Flanders.
•This "sacred soil" was gathered by Belgian and British school children

7. Impressive trade between UK and Belgium
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UK’s top trading partners (ONS publication), March 2014
UK Export markets
UK Import sources
#
Country
value £m
% of total UK exports
#
Country
Value £m
% of total UK imports
1
United States
40,981
13.4
1
Germany
56,329
13.7
2
Germany
29,954
9.8
2
Netherlands
34,772
8.4
3
Netherlands
25.591
8.4
3
China
33,394
8.1
4
France
21,280
7.0
4
United States
27,658
6.7
5
Irish Republic
19,024
6.2
5
France
24,256
5.9
6
Belgium and Luxembourg
14,670
4.8
6
Belgium and Luxembourg
20,571
5.0
7
China
12,400
4.1
7
Norway
17,499
4.2
8
Spain
8,786
2.9
8
Italy
15,115
3.7
9
Italy
8,625
2.8
9
Irish Republic
12,423
3.0
10
United Arab Emirates
6,228
2.0
10
Spain
12,341
3.0
11
Switzerland
5,870
1.9
11
Switzerland
7,874
1.9
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

8. UK Investors in Belgium
8
GSK
Qinetiq Aerospace
BP-Amoco
McBride
INEOS
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

9. Belgians have expertise to share
•1. Export expertise (per capita one of the highest export/GDP ratio’s)
•2. Skilled workforce in Innovation & Research
•3. Logistics heartland of Europe
•4. Belgian captains of industry in actions
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

10. Export of goods and services (% of GDP)
10
35%
52%
94%
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

11. Skilled workforce in Innovation & Research
World-class Research Centres in collaboration with eg. the universities of Leuven, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels
•IMEC (nano technology)
•VIB (life sciences)
•iMinds (digital media)
•VITO (clean tech)
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

12. Innovation & Research
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

13. Logistics heartland of Europe
Multinational companies are serving Europe from Belgium
• Nike
• Procter & Gamble
• Samsonite
• Black & Decker
• Duracell
• SKF
• Sara Lee
• Bose
• Toyota
• Honda
• Mazda
• Becton Dickinson
• Volvo
• Saab Scania
• Pfizer
• Pioneer ...
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

14. NIKE EDC: Europe's largest distribution centre
•EMEA Logistics Centre
•2,500 employees
•200,000 m2
•Transport to more than 70 countries
•Runs 100% on green energy
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

15. Warehouse rental (€/sqm/yr)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
South East
England
Warsaw
Hamburg
Rotterdam
Antwerp -
Flanders
€58/sqm/yr = £5/sqft/yr
Source: FDI Intelligence
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location
€/sqm/yr

16. Belgian CEO’s … an international savvy bunch
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location
Paul Bulcke
Jean-François van Boxmeer
Ronnie Leten

17. Let the Belgians handle the Continent

18. Let the Belgians handle the foreigners for you …
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

19. Why trade with Belgium?
1.Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
2.Strategic location in Europe
3.Lucrative market opportunities
4.Easy access for SME’s
19
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

20. Belgium in the heart of the EU-28
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

21. 8
Belgium
Celtic-Anglo-Saxon
Germanic and Nordic
Latin - Greek
Multilingual - Multicultural
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

22. Location – Location - Location
60% of EU purchasing power is within 500 km of Brussels
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

23. Why trade with Belgium?
1.Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
2.Strategic location in Europe
3.Lucrative market opportunities for SME’s
4.Easy access for SME’s
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

24. Lucrative market opportunities
•Belgians have a high disposable income
•Luxury products are appreciated
•Proximity of top decision makers in EU, NATO, etc
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

25. Belgium is ideal test market
Why?
•Belgians are willing to pay for quality!
Opportunities in:
•High quality food
•Interior design
•Fashion (Antwerp design mecca)
•Logistics ( Antwerp is Europe’s 2nd port)
•IT security: NATO, EC, Swift, Euroclear, ….
•e-Commerce / e-Tailing
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

26. Why trade with Belgium?
1.Strong and long-standing trade relationship with the UK
2.Strategic location in Europe
3.Lucrative market opportunities
4.Easy access for SME’s
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

27. Easy access for SME’s
•Proximity: Belgium is easily accessible (Eurostar: 1h55min)
•English is widely spoken
•Easy to set up
•Affordable office space
•Open economy
•Neutral profile
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

28. Easy to set up
•No permit required to set up a company
•Flexibility in hiring and firing procedures
•Steps?
1.open bank account
2.notary public
3.VAT number
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3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location

29. Incentives
•Patent income deduction
•Investment deduction
•Exemption from withholding tax on the remunerations of researchers
•Notional Interest Deduction
•Dividend withholding tax exemptions
•Holding regime
•Extensive network of tax treaties
•Bonded warehouses and VAT deferral
•Tax Shelter for audiovisual sector
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30. And what’s more
•No wealth tax
•No capital gains tax
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31. Office rental (€/sqm/yr)
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
€180/sqm/yr= £14/sqft/yr
Source: Cushman & Wakefield
3. Market
4. Accessibility
1. Relationship
2. Location
€/sqm/yr

32. Quiz!
What is currently
the best-known Belgian export product to the UK?
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33. •Answer:
–Belgian Beer: NO
–Belgian Chocolates: NO
–But …..

34. Belgium’s Red Devils
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Arsenal
Thomas Vermaelen
Aston Villa
Christian Benteke
Celtic
Jason Denayer
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois
Chelsea
Kevin De Bruyne
Chelsea
Eden Hazard
Everton
Romelu Lukaku
Liverpool
Divock Origi
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet
Manchester City
Vincent Kompany
Manchester United
Marouane Fellaini
Manchester United
Adnan Januzaj
Southampton
Toby Alderweireld
Tottenham Hotspur
Jan Vertonghen
Tottenham Hotspur
Mousa Dembélé
Tottenham Hotspur
Nacer Chadli

35. Wishing you lots of success! Don’t hesitate to contact us:
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Ben De Smit, Economic and Commercial Counsellor
Daljit Aulakh, Invest Assistant
Embassy of Belgium
Flanders House
1A Cavendish Square
London W1G OLD
+44 20 7307 7710

36. Belgium, your partner on the Continent
Interested?
We’d gladly help you with your inquiries
Thank you for your attention!