Belgium and Germany share important joint interests and cooperate closely and well. As founding members of the EU, they have forged close ties through joint efforts to build and deepen the Union, as well as common views on its future course and current challenges. Belgium also shares security interests with the EU and both Belgium and Germany are NATO members. Belgium and Germany liaise closely on international and economic issues.

Germany ranks second amongst Belgium’s trading partners, after the Netherlands. Germany is the most important partner country for Belgium’s export sector. Belgium is Germany’s ninth largest trading partner. In 2023, the trade volume between Germany and Belgium totalled 115.4 billion euro with Germany having a trade surplus. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the second largest chemical cluster in the world, is an important port for imports and exports for Germany, particularly for North Rhine-Westphalia, especially for the import of energy sources such as liquefied natural gas. A large number of German companies have branch offices in Belgium, notably in the chemical, aviation, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. In particular, Germany and Belgium are growing even closer together in the energy sector.

Germany’s cultural relations policy in Belgium focuses on promoting German culture and language. German is the third official language and is spoken by nearly 80,000 Belgians in the German-speaking Community, in the east of the country. Together with partners, the Week for German is held every year throughout the country in schools, universities and universities of applied sciences. A series of Germany Year programmes organised by universities in recent years has presented a modern image of Germany. Commemoration of the two world wars remains an important part of bilateral relations to this day.