Export to Belgium

Belgium is one of India’s top EU partners mainly because of Antwerp, where rough and polished diamonds are traded with Indian firms every day. Antwerp-Bruges is also a major port for chemicals, steel and food going into the rest of Europe. All EU import rules apply, with food checks by Belgium’s food-chain safety agency (FASFC).

What it buys from India

• Cut and polished diamonds (traded through Antwerp)
• Organic chemicals, medicines and iron and steel
• Garments, marine products and machinery parts

Import rules on their side

• Food must meet EU maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides, which are often stricter than Indian limits, and some Indian foods are on the EU list for extra border checks with official test reports. Check your product on Access2Markets before you ship.
• Iron, steel and aluminium goods fall under the EU carbon border rules (CBAM), so buyers will ask for embedded-emissions data. Chemicals in products must meet REACH, many goods need CE marking, and deforestation rules (EUDR) apply to coffee, rubber, wood and leather from 30 December 2026 for large and medium importers.
• Rough diamonds need a Kimberley Process certificate. Lab-grown diamonds must be clearly disclosed as laboratory-grown on invoices.

Practical tips

• Many Indian diamond firms already operate in Antwerp; working through an established trading house is the usual way in.
• Belgium has Dutch, French and German language areas; labels for retail food must use the language of the region where it is sold.
• European buyers usually move to open account or documents against payment (D/P) once trust is built. For the first orders ask for an advance or an LC, and use ECGC credit insurance when you give credit.