globaltraffic.earth

Trade between Belgium and South Africa

In 2024, Belgium exported $1.2 billion to South Africa and imported $2.6 billion. Belgium ran a deficit of $1.5 billion with South Africa, compared with a deficit of $2.4 billion in 2019. South Africa was Belgium’s 30th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and Belgium was South Africa’s 15th (1%).

Summary

Belgium → South Africa
$1.2billion
South Africa → Belgium
$2.6billion
Belgium’s balance
-$1.5billion

Balance

Belgium’s trade balance with South Africa

Trade between Belgium and South Africa grew 2.3-fold since 1995

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

  • Exports 1.2
  • Imports 2.6
  • Balance -1.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$728 million$949 million-$221 million
1996$652 million$1.1 billion-$432 million
1997$575 million$1.1 billion-$501 million
1998$538 million$1.1 billion-$565 million
1999$477 million$1.3 billion-$825 million
2000$445 million$1.3 billion-$808 million
2001$397 million$1.2 billion-$786 million
2002$405 million$1.4 billion-$978 million
2003$535 million$1.2 billion-$640 million
2004$637 million$1.6 billion-$951 million
2005$797 million$1.7 billion-$903 million
2006$894 million$1.9 billion-$991 million
2007$1.1 billion$2.6 billion-$1.5 billion
2008$1.2 billion$2.9 billion-$1.7 billion
2009$1.1 billion$1.6 billion-$574 million
2010$1.1 billion$1.6 billion-$498 million
2011$1.4 billion$1.8 billion-$433 million
2012$1.3 billion$1.9 billion-$538 million
2013$1.2 billion$1.9 billion-$719 million
2014$1.1 billion$2.1 billion-$997 million
2015$1 billion$1.9 billion-$913 million
2016$861 million$2.1 billion-$1.2 billion
2017$901 million$2.1 billion-$1.2 billion
2018$1 billion$3.2 billion-$2.2 billion
2019$907 million$3.3 billion-$2.4 billion
2020$856 million$2.6 billion-$1.7 billion
2021$1.3 billion$3.6 billion-$2.3 billion
2022$1.3 billion$3.5 billion-$2.1 billion
2023$1.2 billion$2.7 billion-$1.5 billion
2024$1.2 billion$2.6 billion-$1.5 billion

What they sell each other

What Belgium sells to South Africa

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

  1. Refined petroleum$248 million · 21.4%
    334 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  2. Pesticides and herbicides$46 million · 4%
    15 thousand tonnes
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$43 million · 3.7%
    438 tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  4. Malt$41 million · 3.6%
    67 thousand tonnes
  5. Fuel and lubricant additives$39 million · 3.4%
    10 thousand tonnes
  6. Alloy steel sheet$36 million · 3.1%
    25 thousand tonnes
  7. Vaccines, blood and antisera$32 million · 2.8%
    58 tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  8. Chocolate$30 million · 2.6%
    4 thousand tonnes · Belgium’s destinations
  9. Coated flat steel$26 million · 2.3%
    20 thousand tonnes
  10. Organosulfur compounds$26 million · 2.3%
    11 thousand tonnes

What South Africa sells to Belgium

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

  1. Trucks$478 million · 18.2%
    61 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Diamonds$412 million · 15.7%
    South Africa’s destinations
  3. Slag and ash with metals$297 million · 11.3%
    9 thousand tonnes
  4. Gold$263 million · 10%
    4 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Precious metal scrap$177 million · 6.8%
    2 thousand tonnes
  6. Sulfates and alums$175 million · 6.7%
    13 thousand tonnes
  7. Ferroalloys$120 million · 4.6%
    126 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  8. Open-chain hydrocarbons$98 million · 3.7%
    32 thousand tonnes
  9. Cars$90 million · 3.4%
    9 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  10. Titanium ore$67 million · 2.6%
    116 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Antwerp to Durban.

The estimated sea route between Antwerp and Durban is 7,216 nautical miles (13,365 km) long: ≈ 16.5–21.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Dover and Cape of Good Hope.

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$2.8 billion · 73.1%
  2. Air$1 billion · 26.9%

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

How much each matters to the other

South Africa was Belgium’s 30th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and Belgium was South Africa’s 15th (1%).

South Africa in Belgium’s trade
0.5%
South Africa’s rank among Belgium’s partners
30th
Belgium in South Africa’s trade
1.5%
Belgium’s rank among South Africa’s partners
15th

Compare with

Other partners of Belgium

Other partners of South Africa

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.