Facts and Figures
	Economy
	Direct Marketing

Facts and Figures

Sources: Foreign Office, Spiegel Year Book 2003,
Foreign trade portal Ixpos(bfai, DIHK)

Economy

Belgium, the headquarters of NATO as well as the EU Commission, has not been spared traces of the poor global economic situation. Thus, following major growth problems faced by the Belgian economy in 2001 (- 1%), 2002 also saw weak economic growth for Belgium of only + 0.7%. The reason behind this development was a significant fall in export growth which had a negative impact on all sectors of the Belgian economy.

Due to its lack of raw materials, Belgium is heavily dependent on the global economic situation so it can be assumed that only a recovery in the global economy will improve Belgium's economic situation. According to Eurostart estimates, the savings rate of 15.6 % ranks amongst the highest in the EU, and in the next two years an increase rather than a decrease in this area can be expected.

Particularly the iron and steel industry, the machine and automobile construction industries, the chemical and petrochemical as well as the pharmaceutical industries are all of major importance within the Belgian industrial sector. Also important are the glass and paper industries, the food and beverages industry as well as the textile industry. The latter is mainly located in the conurbations of Bruges, Brussels, Gent and Liege as well as around the cities of Limburg, Kortrijk and Mechelen. The main center for the carpet industry is Saint-Nicholas.

Huge quantities of raw materials are imported which, after being processed into products, are then exported again. Major imported products include machines and vehicles, transport systems, live animals, chemical products, electrical appliances, jewelry, textile products and food. Exports include, for example, iron and steel goods, textiles, chemical products, machines and transport systems, food and livestock as well as cut diamonds.

Due to its central position in the heart of Europe, it is no surprise that Belgium's neighbors, France, Germany and the Netherlands, rank among its major trading partners.Sources: Ixpos, Stern Year Book, Deka-immobilien

Direct Marketing

With a very high per capita number of mailings, the Belgian population certainly belongs to the most frequented within the EU. Expenditure for addressed and unaddressed mailshots increased from 1999 to 2001 by approx. 9.3 %.

North Belgium represents an ideal test market since its families and single households roughly correspond to the EU average in terms of size and age.

Total expenditure for direct marketing amounted to:
1999: 660 million euros
2000: 718 million euros
2001: 727 million euros

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