A Strong Market Presence in Japan

Belgian food and drink products enjoy a solid reputation in Japan, where the “Belgian” label is associated with quality, craftsmanship, and trust. Belgian beer, fries, and frozen vegetables are widely recognized, while chocolates and biscuits are especially popular during Japan’s traditional gift-giving seasons—ochugen in summer and oseibo at year-end.

“This is a strategic opportunity,” says Bart Buysse, CEO of Fevia. “Belgian products are well-established in Japan, and we must build on that momentum to strengthen our position in this mature market. Following the success of the 2022 Belgian economic mission to Japan, this week offers another chance to deepen our trade ties.”

Revitalizing a Key Export Market

Exports drive the Belgian food industry, accounting for half of its revenue. Although Japan was once Belgium’s second-largest non-European export market, it now ranks fift, behind the U.S., Saudi Arabia, China, and Australia. Despite this, the Japanese market remains rich in potential. A delegation of Belgian food companies will attend the Expo to foster closer trade relationships.

A Taste of Innovation and Tradition

During the six-month Expo, Belgium will spotlight its strengths under the overarching theme “Human Regeneration.” A key highlight is the Belgian Food & Drinks Week, where visitors will experience Belgium’s innovation in plant-based cuisine, alcohol-free beverages, and chocolate traceability.

Events such as the “We’re Smart World Future Awards” will further showcase Belgium’s dedication to responsible food production and consumption. Meanwhile, tastings and seminars will celebrate beloved Belgian staples like chocolate and biscuits—products that resonate strongly with Japanese consumers and gift-giving culture.

The Belgian pavilion’s boutique, already a visitor favorite, offers a curated selection of premium confectionery and bakery items. Its success reflects Japan’s appetite for high-quality imported goods and reinforces Belgium’s image as a premium, trustworthy food brand.

Featured Partners

Participating Fevia members and pavilion partners include: AB InBev, Astra Sweets, Avieta, Belgian Chocolate Group, Brasserie De Halve Maan, Brasserie Huyghe, Centho Chocolates, Chant d’Éole, Chimay, Duvel, Godiva, Jules Destrooper, Leonidas, Lotus, Lutosa, Neuhaus, Rombouts, Val Dieu, Vermeiren, and Vondelmolen.

About Expo 2025 Osaka

Expo 2025 runs from 13 April to 13 October in Osaka under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Belgium’s pavilion, managed by BelExpo (the General Commission for International Exhibitions), focuses on the theme “Human Regeneration.” For more information, visit BelExpo’s official website.

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Van Moer Logistics’ new mobile handling crane, a Mantsinen 300, has arrived in Antwerp by ship after a five-day journey from the Finnish port of Rauma. The crane will be tested and delivered in Antwerp before reaching its final destination at the Port of Brussels.

With an impressive capacity of 80 tonnes, a reach of 28 metres and a deadweight of 376 tonnes, this crane is among the heaviest and most robust on the market. The hybrid drive with stage 5 diesel engine ensures particularly low emissions and is also compatible with HVO fuel, which can provide an emission reduction of up to 90%.

The crane is equipped with a fully automatic quick coupler, allowing easy switching between attachments, such as a spreader, a 14m3 bulk grab or other accessories, from the cab.

Jo Van Moer, founder and CEO of Van Moer Logistics: ‘The multipurpose use of this crane is crucial for us. The Port of Brussels is home to a wide range of industries and projects, so we can now fine-tune our equipment to the specific needs of each sector.’

NEW OPPORTUNITIES PORT OF BRUSSELS

This crane will be the largest mobile transhipment crane in the Port of Brussels, bringing significant benefits to the port and the surrounding region. Van Moer Logistics’ new crane is suitable for loading and unloading containers to bulk goods from ships and wagons.

Van Moer Logistics will make the crane available to surrounding companies in the Port of Brussels, which will further increase the efficiency and capacity of the port. This new acquisition plays a crucial role in the modal shift towards more transport via water and rail, which will reduce congestion on the roads. Thanks to the crane’s mobility, it can be used flexibly depending on the needs of the port and surrounding industries.

Gert Van der Eeken, CEO of Port of Brussels: « The imminent arrival of this new Mantsinen 300 crane marks an important step forward in the development of the Brussels port infrastructure. The Port of Brussels thus intends to fully commit to efficient and sustainable logistics solutions for the Brussels region and further set course for a true modal shift. »

About Van Moer Logistics

Van Moer Logistics is a growing logistics service provider offering tailor-made logistics solutions. The group operates in transport, distribution, warehousing, intermodal logistics and tank container logistics.

Jo Van Moer and Anne Verstraeten founded the company in 1990 with 1 truck and grew into a notable player with more than 40 locations within the ports of Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels. Van Moer Logistics focuses on building long-term partner relationships where it listens to customer needs to optimise their processes.

The group now has 500 trucks, 800,000 m2 of warehouse space and 10 barges. Together with 2,200 employees, Jo and Anne continue to build their family business every day with a sustainable and innovative vision.

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How does the Lodzkie Region help in concrete?

As part of the project, economic events and business meetings with foreign investors, as well as workshops and conferences are organized.
Thanks to this, a Lodz-Brussels cooperation network is being built, providing a market for goods from our region.
It is also important to help build a professional image of Polish companies in the West, which directly translates into increased exports of products and services. The Regional Office of the Lodzkie Region “Lodzkie House” operates in Brussels.
It is not only a place for B2B meetings, but also a valuable source of information related to regional policy and regulations in force in the European Union. It provides an invaluable support for all companies that are serious about their exports, aimed precisely at Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The Lodzkie Region offers active and practical support, providing fair booths for companies willing to participate in the project. All this despite the economic turmoil and the difficult time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is also worth mentioning that in the coming year participation in trade fairs is planned, with recruitment already underway. These are the international construction fair BATIBOUW 2022, which will be held in Brussels at the end of May, and the March international food industry fair TAVOLA. During both events, the Forum of Polish Entrepreneurs will be organized, to which Grzegorz Schreiber, Marshal of the Lodzkie Region, warmly invites you.
Project film – Lodz for BUSINESS – Benelux countries.

Polish companies from the Lodzkie Region ready to develop their businesses in the Benelux countries!

Innovation, modernity, ecology, experience and export potential are the attributes of companies participating in the project « Lodzkie in Brussels supports Lodzkie business ».
Meet the companies that have decided on the development path of their companies in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg!
Interested? Read more

The article is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the budget of the Local Government of the Lodzkie Region within the project « Lodzkie w Brussels supports Lodzkie business. Promotion of a comprehensive export offer for enterprises from the region ”.

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The stabilization package of 460 million euro – €290 million from the Belgian Federal government and €170 million from Lufthansa – covers in part the losses incurred by Brussels Airlines due to the crisis and secures at the same time tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs that are linked to the activities of Brussels Airlines. The airline has stated on its press release that: Thanks to the package, the airline can finance its turnaround plan and herewith create a long-term and structurally profitable future.

We are happy that an agreement was reached on the stabilization package for Brussels Airlines and that we can now fully dedicate ourselves again to our customers, employees and partners. pic.twitter.com/OFTY4uFhNm

— Brussels Airlines (@FlyingBrussels) July 24, 2020

Dieter Vranckx, CEO of Brussels Airlines has stated: “With this news, we finally conclude the three pillars of our survival and long-term competitiveness. We are relieved that the execution of the financial transaction can take place. We will now shift all our focus towards a timely implementation of our turnaround plan Reboot Plus. »

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In recent years, the company has been barely profitable. And 2019 does not look much better, mostly after the bankruptcy of British tour operator Thomas Cook. The Belgian airline carried the bulk of its travelers, and its loss will indeed cost to the company more than 12 million euros.

According to the Reboot plan, Brussels Airlines will have to evolve in the coming years towards a smaller but more profitable company. The goal is to achieve a profit margin of at least 8% by 2022, before again being able to think about growing the business. A margin that is required for the company can assume alone the necessary investments (in the fleet, in the IT department, etc).

Unions claim there is no clarity on job cuts

It is still unclear what impact these economies will have on nearly 4,200 workers. Management is not able to accurately quantify the number of people affected. This will be examined in the coming months or even years, department by department. In any case, it has been made a commitment to compensate as much as possible for job losses through voluntary redundancies, even if dry layoffs are not completely excluded.

The voluntary departure plan is being negotiated with the workers’ representatives. The Christian union, in particular, is reluctant to sign a « blank page », without further details on the exact impact and fears that the management wants to circumvent the Renault law (in terms of collective redundancies) by distributing dismissals over time . Socialists also ask for clarity on the number of employees concerned. Finally, the liberal training – the main one at Brussels Airlines – is more inclined to continue to negotiate voluntary departures, in order to avoid a collective dismissal.

The unions came out disappointed Thursday morning extraordinary works council at Brussels Airlines. They regret that they still have no clarity on the planned job cuts under the ‘Reboot’ future plan, which aims to increase the profit margin to 8% by 2022, compared to almost 0% currently. « We will not have a clear view for three years, and this will have a clear impact on the atmosphere among the workers, » they summarize.

Despite their insistent demand, the unions have still not been informed of the concrete impact on employment within the company, they lament. « For three years, we will negotiate department by department of voluntary departures to reach this 8% profit margin. So we will not have clarity during all this time, » analyzes Luc Martin, CNE, which is already very uncertain.

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« Proximus will adjust the pricing of its Packs by about 2 euro on January 1^st, 2019. It is important to remind that there has not been a single change to the rates for the fixed products in the Tuttimus and Familus Packs since their launch in October 2016. » they announced on their website.

The principal Packs available in the current offer will be subject to the following changes:

• Tuttimus + 2 euro per month
• Familus: + 2 euro per month
• The Minimus offer remains unchanged

As of 01/01/2020, the price of their Telephony + TV pack will increase by € 2/month as well.

However, all costumers will be informed of these price changes through their bills.

« Proximus invests massively in the roll-out of optical fiber to build the network of the future and to offer its customers the best experience. » they added.

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MSC Leni, is a container ship which has a capacity of 23,756 standard containers. Even though Antwerp was not initially on the route of the container, due to navigation services, the container ship had to make a stop.

According to the officials, this is the largest container ship to have been anchored at the port of Antwerp. MSC Leni arrived at the port on Sunday evening.

The port’s previous record was anchoring MSC Isabella, a container ship with a hundred less containers than Leni. MSC Isabella stacks no fewer than 24 rows of containers on its deck. The ship can transport 23,656 containers.

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David Haigh, CEO of  Brand Finance stated: « With over 200 active breweries in Belgium, it is no surprise that beer and brewing brands claim two spots in the top 10. Stella Artois thrives as a result of its deep customer loyalty, built up over its 600-year long history. Embracing global trends and launching exciting new products, for example Stella Artois Gluten Free, clearly highlights the brand’s ability to stay ahead of the curve, which is a testament to its solid performance. »

Developing economies have seen 30 times faster nation brand value growth over the past year than developed ones, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy.

The average year-on-year nation brand value growth among the developing economies stands at 13.9%, compared to as little as 0.4% for the developed economies included in the annual study into the world’s 100 most valuable nation brands. This means that – on average – the nation brands of developing economies have been growing at a pace 31.3 times faster than the developed ones.

Nation brand values of most developed economies have contracted or stagnated year on year. Japan is a notable exception with 26% growth, but even so – it is only the 15th fastest-growing nation brand this year, behind many developing African, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Latin American nation brands. Consistently with previous years’ trends, 11 out of the 20 fastest-growing nation brands of 2019 come from the Middle East and Africa, with Ghana (up 67%), Uganda (up 56%), and Egypt (up 50%) in the top 5.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

« With the Western world seeing a real crisis of leadership on both sides of the Atlantic, the developing world is catching up. Bolder, more agile, increasingly innovative African, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Latin American nation brands are racing ahead at breakneck speed, poised for further growth in the years to come. »

Although catching up, at US$37.8 trillion – the combined nation brand value of the 65 developing economies in the study remains far behind that of the 35 developed economies – which sits at US$60.3 trillion. Topping the ranking again this year, the nation brand value of the United States alone stands at US$27.8 trillion.

China shows no sign of slowing

Claiming second position, China continues to grow at a very healthy rate, recording an impressive 40% increase in brand value to US$19.5 trillion. Building on its solid performance in previous years, China is closing the gap behind long-standing leader the US, which has recorded a brand value growth of just 7% over the past year. The difference in value between the two nation brands has dropped from US$12 trillion last year to just over US$8 trillion in 2019.

The two largest economies in the world have been at loggerheads since July last year in a bitter trade war, with tariffs imposed by both sides on billions of dollars’ worth of imports and exports. Despite this, China’s brand value has defied the expectations of a slowdown, benefitting from the glowing success of some of its most dominant and valuable brands, including ICBC, Huawei, and Alibaba. The latter two in particular have embraced strong marketing strategies that mirror their international counterparts, which have helped successfully propel them onto the global stage as legitimate competitors to Western brands.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

« China is undergoing a meteoric rise on the global stage, rivalling the traditional nation brand powerhouses in the West. Despite economic and political challenges, China’s nation brand value has grown by 40%, consistently outpacing the US and other major economies. »

Japan overtakes UK

Behind the US, China, and third-placed Germany, Japan’s brand value has increased 26% to US$4.5 trillion. In spite of predictions that its economy would suffer in the face of a global slowdown, Japan has been able to reap the benefits from its solid consumer spend and high levels of business investment. As the tech powerhouse economy of Asia, Japan is progressively forward-thinking and outward-looking, protecting itself amid global uncertainty. Championed by Abe and Trump, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy supports and promotes connectivity and free trade in its own right. However, the nation is contending with its ‘super-aging’ society putting pressure on social and health services.

In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of nation brands, determined by performance on dozens of data points across three key pillars: Goods & Services, Investment, and Society. According to these criteria, Japan has also recorded solid growth in brand strength, jumping to a AAA brand strength rating, with a corresponding BSI score of 85.8 out of 100.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

« Japan is increasingly becoming a tourism hotspot, with millions visiting every year hoping to soak up the culture and explore all the country has to offer. With the nation currently hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup and next summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics just around the corner, there is no doubt we will see an even greater uplift in Japan’s brand strength in the future. »

Taking fourth rank, Japan has pushed the UK, which saw little uplift from last year (up 3% to US$3.9 trillion), into fifth position. With the final Brexit decision yet to come and therefore not currently accounted for in the nation’s brand value, the next few months will be crucial in determining the UK’s future outlook.

Ireland makes the most of Brexit

The uncertainty around Brexit has prevented both the UK and the rest of the EU from faster growth. Ireland, however, seems to be making the most of the situation. Ireland’s nation brand value has more than doubled since 2015 – the year before the disruption of status quo through the Brexit referendum – increasing 110%. By contrast, in the same period, the UK’s nation brand value and the combined brand value of the other EU member states have only grown 19% and 32% respectively. Confirming strong performance, Ireland is the fastest-growing nation brand in Western Europe in 2019, up 12% to US$604 billion, while all other players in the region have recorded a minimal uptick or a decline. A potential no-deal scenario is however likely to cause challenges for Ireland going forward.

No new entrants in top 10

Although there were no new entrants to the club, India (up 19% to US$2.6 trillion) has made the largest jump within the top 10 – from 9th to 7th position. The economy was quick to recover after the global financial crisis, with growth now reduced by a recent slowdown in both the manufacturing and construction sectors. The Indian government has launched several initiatives to try and boost the nation’s exposure on the world stage, including ‘Make in India’ and the Swachh Bharat mission.

Other movers in the top 10 include: Canada, dropping from 7th to 8th (down 2% to US$2.2 trillion); Italy falling from 8th to 10th (down 5% to US$2.1 trillion); and South Korea, which has inched up one place from 10th to 9th (up 7% to US$2.1 trillion). South Korea is one of Asia’s largest economies and benefits from its strong export base and improved structural policies that have bred inclusion and enhanced productivity.

Top turnaround: Turkey

Turkey has recorded a remarkable turnaround from its performance in 2018, going from a loss of almost a third of its nation brand value, to this year leaping up 47% to US$560 billion. The nation is back on track following a recession and the sharp fall in value of the lira, which tainted the economy in the second half of 2018. Turkey has the opportunity to thrive with the advantage of the youngest and fastest-growing population in Europe, as well as looser monetary policies currently in place. Continued geopolitical tensions, however, could potentially blight this improvement.

Singapore is world’s strongest

Singapore has retained its title of the world’s strongest nation brand, earning the elite AAA+ rating and a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 90.5 out of 100. Although this is a slight drop from 2018, Singapore is the only nation in the ranking to record a BSI over 90.

The highly prosperous city-state serves as the business hub of Southeast Asia and is renowned for its world-class education, healthcare, transport, and low crime levels. These factors, paired with the nation’s unwavering political stability and commitment to its ‘Future Economy’ strategy, makes the island a very strong and stable nation on the global stage.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:

« Singapore’s pioneering efforts in human capital development make it an exemplary nation for its high-class healthcare facilities and first-rate education. These are the types of investments which drive the nation’s sustained growth and build brand strength. »

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The event will take place on the 27th of November 2019 at the Sheraton Brussels Airport (Brussels National Airport, 1930 Brussels, Belgium).

The full program will follow soon here.

Innovative insights on the future of fintech

The financial landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. Uncertainties about the search for adequate tech talent and how to deal with regulations, open banking, payments, cloud computing, ecosystems/hubs, crypto-assets, insurtech, trust and sustainability keep finance experts busy.

During the Digital Finance Summit on November 27, market players, both large and small, old and new, will share their fresh views on these latest innovations, while regulators and decision makers will enlighten the ecosystem players on how to keep the fintech sector stable, secure and reliable for all.

Innovating together

Previous events in Brussels have included the Fintech Belgium Summit and Digital Finance Europe, all organized separately. This year, the two events merge together into one flagship event: Digital Finance Summit. The DFS is the result of a collaboration between four partners: the European Banking Federation, representing the European banking sector, Febelfin, representing the Belgian financial sector, FinTech Belgium, representing the fintech community in Belgium, and B-Hive, the collaborative innovation platform for financial institutions and fintechs.

Given the different backgrounds of these organizing partners and their networks, DFS is a fintech breeding ground, a unique event offering a complete view on current technological, regulatory and financial insights.

In the heart of Europe and European policy

The DFS is the biggest fintech conference in Belgium, in the heart of Europe. Hosted in Brussels, the capital of European policy setters, this event is one of the few places enabling large financials, start-ups and technology experts to merge their respective potential while picking up on European fintech growth, valuable partnerships and regulatory insights.

About B-Hive

B-Hive is a European collaborative innovation fintech platform that brings together major banks, insurers and market infrastructure players. Together, they work on common innovation programs and build bridges between B-Hive’s corporate partners and its start-up and scale-up community members. B-Hive aims to put Brussels on the map as the smart gateway to Europe and leverage on the opportunities offered by the digital transformation for the financial services industry. B-Hive believes that building bridges between important fintech hubs and the Eurozone enables both European and non-European companies to grow and expand.

The Executive Chairman, Fabian Vandenreydt, states: “Change is happening fast, fueled by continuous tech solutions. However, innovation is not only about technology. The ultimate impact of these emerging tech solutions will be felt by the end-users: consumers, households, businesses and employees in the financial sector. That is why it is important to bring the entire European fintech world together. Hosted in the capital of European policy setters, the Digital Finance Summit is the perfect platform for global innovators to share insights and to be inspired by a unique blend of industry leaders. The objective is to turbo boost the European fintech ecosystem.”

About EBF

The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector, bringing together national banking associations from across Europe, including all EU and EFTA countries. The EBF is committed to a thriving European economy that is underpinned by a stable, secure and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a flourishing society where financing is available to fund the dreams of citizens, businesses and innovators everywhere.

The Chief Policy Officer at EBF, Sebastien de Brouwer, says: “Bringing together so many financial innovators provides a unique opportunity for the global fintech community to visit Brussels. We see that regulation is changing fast and the ecosystem keeps on growing, especially the access to artificial intelligence solutions and the growing data economy. We are looking forward to pushing the European fintech potential to new heights with policy experts and entrepreneurs.”

About Febelfin

Febelfin represents the Belgian financial sector. In collaboration with the banks, Febelfin is developing a social, safe and more digital banking system. Innovations range from sustainable investments and diversity in banking staff to instant mobile payments, from pension savings and a strong integrity policy in banks to new career opportunities for employees of the financial sector in other sectors and from social loans and a basic banking service for refugees to continuing financial training for individuals and entrepreneurs.

The CEO, Karel Van Eetvelt: “Open banking, collapsing business models, Libra,… the financial services industry is facing unseen challenges. Tackling those will require an all-hands effort by the financial institutions, fintechs and regulators alike. Brussels as EU capital is halfway between London and Frankfurt and less than 2 hours from any European financial regulator. This conference is also intended to be a strong signal to the new EU Commission and financial regulators: Let us work together to create a business environment that guarantees that European citizens and SMEs can continue to rely on a strong and competitive European financial sector for access to financial services.”

About FinTech Belgium

FinTech Belgium asbl/vzw is a non-profit organization created in 2015 by and for fintech companies in Belgium. It is the first and largest community of fintechers in Belgium, uniting financial professionals, startup entrepreneurs and investors, who are interested in discovering and discussing disruptive business models and new technology for the financial services industry.

Its Chairman, Jean Louis Van Houwe, asserts: “Changes in the financial, insurance and regulatory fields are accelerating with the emergence of new challenges, new opportunities and new players. It is important that at least once a year all stakeholders can meet to keep up-to-date, hear the latest trends and establish collaborations in this fast-growing environment. After 3 successful editions of the FinTech Belgium Summit, we are very happy to now be combining forces with other organizations to organize 2019’s major FinTech event in the capital of Europe: the Digital Finance Summit.”

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In a long awaited opinion the Court of Justice confirmed, on 30 April 2019, that the ISDS-mechanism – investor-state dispute settlement – as reformed by CETA, is compatible with EU law. Belgium asked the CJEU for its view to clarify CETA’s legal framework that led to numerous debates on both political level and with civil society.

These concerns were justified and led to a series of reforms going beyond the EU’s bilateral investment agreements. The seminar tackled the agenda for investment protection reform at international level and resulted in an open discussion with all parties involved.

During his intervention, Minister Reynders welcomed the opinion of the Court, as the guarantees provided by CETA were taken into account in order to confirm its compatibility with European law. He also reiterated his support for the activities of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), of which Belgium has been a member since July 2019 until 2025. It is important to pursue the reforms within UNCITRAL to ensure inclusive and transparent work. After all, the committee involves arbitration experts and representatives of civil society in its debates.

Our country is calling for a comprehensive reform and resolutely supports the creation of a multilateral investment court.

When closing the event, Minister Reynders stressed the Belgian priorities in the current debate, including transparency, the importance of an alternative dispute settlement mechanism, such as mediation, and the access of SME’s to investment protection.

The event was organized by the Directorate General European Affairs of the FPS Foreign Affairs and is part of a series of seminars on European foreign trade.

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