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Trade between Belgium and Ireland

In 2024, Belgium exported $3.1 billion to Ireland and imported $10.7 billion. Belgium ran a deficit of $7.6 billion with Ireland, compared with a deficit of $13 billion in 2019. Ireland was Belgium’s 11th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Belgium was Ireland’s 7th (3%).

Summary

Belgium → Ireland
$3.1billion
Ireland → Belgium
$10.7billion
Belgium’s balance
-$7.6billion

Balance

Belgium’s trade balance with Ireland

Trade between Belgium and Ireland grew 5.8-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Belgium’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 3.1
  • Imports 10.7
  • Balance -7.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$574 million$1.8 billion-$1.2 billion
1996$623 million$2.4 billion-$1.8 billion
1997$637 million$2.7 billion-$2.1 billion
1998$753 million$4.4 billion-$3.6 billion
1999$938 million$3.7 billion-$2.8 billion
2000$1 billion$4.2 billion-$3.2 billion
2001$1 billion$5.1 billion-$4.1 billion
2002$1 billion$14.1 billion-$13.1 billion
2003$1.1 billion$13.3 billion-$12.2 billion
2004$1.5 billion$18.1 billion-$16.6 billion
2005$1.8 billion$20.6 billion-$18.8 billion
2006$1.8 billion$19.9 billion-$18.1 billion
2007$2.1 billion$19.9 billion-$17.8 billion
2008$2.1 billion$18.6 billion-$16.5 billion
2009$1.4 billion$21.7 billion-$20.3 billion
2010$1.5 billion$3.7 billion-$2.2 billion
2011$1.8 billion$3.4 billion-$1.6 billion
2012$1.3 billion$3.7 billion-$2.5 billion
2013$1.2 billion$3.5 billion-$2.2 billion
2014$1.6 billion$3.5 billion-$2 billion
2015$1.5 billion$3.4 billion-$1.9 billion
2016$1.4 billion$11.6 billion-$10.2 billion
2017$1.7 billion$14.2 billion-$12.5 billion
2018$2.1 billion$18.9 billion-$16.8 billion
2019$2.1 billion$15.1 billion-$13 billion
2020$2.2 billion$14.8 billion-$12.6 billion
2021$2.7 billion$12.9 billion-$10.2 billion
2022$2.6 billion$17.1 billion-$14.5 billion
2023$2.8 billion$18.8 billion-$15.9 billion
2024$3.1 billion$10.7 billion-$7.6 billion

What they sell each other

What Belgium sells to Ireland

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Refined petroleum$530 million · 17.1%
    497 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  2. Vaccines, blood and antisera$305 million · 9.9%
    303 tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$209 million · 6.8%
    999 tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  4. Cars$174 million · 5.6%
    15 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  5. Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds$93 million · 3%
    80 tonnes
  6. Industrial fatty acids and oils$77 million · 2.5%
    48 thousand tonnes
  7. Margarine$67 million · 2.2%
    31 thousand tonnes
  8. Frozen vegetables$67 million · 2.2%
    46 thousand tonnes
  9. Tractors$51 million · 1.7%
    4 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  10. Chocolate$41 million · 1.3%
    6 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations

What Ireland sells to Belgium

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Vaccines, blood and antisera$3.7 billion · 34.7%
    128 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  2. Bulk medicines$2.5 billion · 23.7%
    7 thousand tonnes
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$1.2 billion · 11%
    14 thousand tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  4. Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds$532 million · 5%
    205 tonnes
  5. Microchips$346 million · 3.3%
    119 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  6. Fragrance mixtures$280 million · 2.6%
    3 thousand tonnes
  7. Orthopedic and hearing devices$268 million · 2.5%
    1 thousand tonnes
  8. Sulfonamides$259 million · 2.4%
    470 tonnes
  9. Airplanes and helicopters$227 million · 2.1%
    168 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  10. Butter and milk fats$121 million · 1.1%
    15 thousand tonnes · Ireland’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Antwerp to Dublin.

The estimated sea route between Antwerp and Dublin is 643 nautical miles (1,191 km) long: ≈ 1.5–2 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Dover.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$5.7 billion · 41.7%
  2. Air$8 billion · 58.3%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

Ireland was Belgium’s 11th largest trading partner (2% of its trade), and Belgium was Ireland’s 7th (3%).

Ireland in Belgium’s trade
1.8%
Ireland’s rank among Belgium’s partners
11th
Belgium in Ireland’s trade
3.5%
Belgium’s rank among Ireland’s partners
7th

Compare with

Other partners of Belgium

Other partners of Ireland

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.