Port of Antwerp-Bruges strengthens trade relations with India during visit by Prime Minister De Wever

in News
TagsEngineering, engineering and equipment, Equipment, Port of Antwerp

Sep 4

Following Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s official visit to India, Port of Antwerp-Bruges and partners will bring together Belgian and Indian policymakers and business leaders in Mumbai on 4 September to discuss the opportunities created by the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. The event is part of Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ ambition to further develop its trade relations with India and consolidate its position as a key gateway for the growing cargo flows between India and Europe.

Strategic trade partner

India is an important growth market for Port of Antwerp-Bruges. In 2025, the port handled 6.3 million tonnes of goods originating from or destined for India, making it the third-largest trade partner for breakbulk and the seventh-largest for containers. Port of Antwerp-Bruges has had a permanent presence in Mumbai since 2006, and this year is celebrating 20 years of operations there.

The collaboration goes beyond cargo flows. Through its subsidiaries, Port of Antwerp-Bruges International and APEC–Antwerp/Flanders Port Training Center, Port of Antwerp-Bruges shares its expertise in areas including port management, digitalisation, nautical operations and sustainability. In addition, it is exploring investment opportunities and contributing to the further development of India’s port and maritime sector through training and knowledge exchange.

Free trade agreement as a lever

With negotiations concluded in early 2026, the India-EU Free Trade Agreement offers new opportunities for growth. Once the agreement comes into force, import duties on a wide range of goods will be reduced or abolished, and simpler customs procedures will ensure frictionless trade. The European Commission estimates that exports of EU goods to India – worth nearly €49 billion in 2024 – could double by 2032. The sectors that stand to benefit – including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, textiles and food – are closely aligned with Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ cargo flows and industrial clusters.

How Belgium and India can capitalise on these growth opportunities will be the focus of the India-Belgium High-Level Dialogue on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which Port of Antwerp-Bruges is organising in Mumbai on 4 September in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, the FPS Foreign Affairs, Flanders Investment & Trade and the Consulate-General of Belgium. Prime Minister De Wever will hold talks with representatives of the Indian Government, including the Hon’ble Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, and the Hon’ble Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, as well as with representatives of the Belgian and Indian business communities. The event will follow his bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 September in New Delhi.

From dialogue to concrete opportunities

Port of Antwerp-Bruges aims to turn the opportunities created by the free trade agreement into concrete trade, investment, and partnerships, further expanding its role as a logistics and industrial gateway between India and Europe. With that in mind, the port will return to India together with companies from the port community from 1 to 5 February 2027, as part of a multi-sector trade mission.

William Demoor, Chief Customer Relations Officer at Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “India has been a crucial trade partner for Port of Antwerp-Bruges for many years, and there is still a lot of potential. With our logistics and industrial clusters, our connectivity to the European hinterland, and our twenty-year presence in India, we have everything in place to support a significant part of that growth. We want to be the natural gateway to Europe for Indian companies, and the link to one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for European companies.”

Bart De Wever, Prime Minister of Belgium and member of the Board of Directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “In a world where protectionism and economic dependencies are once again gaining ground, our country chooses reliable partners and trade that diversifies our supply chains. The free trade agreement between India and the EU gives concrete substance to that choice, but strong logistics connections are essential to turn those opportunities into reality. India is an important growth market for Belgian companies, while Belgium, with the second-largest port in Europe, offers a key gateway to the European market. Port of Antwerp-Bruges thus forms a crucial logistics bridge between India and Europe.”