| Despite being one of the smallest countries in the | | | | transport for freight forwarding that is both |
| European Union, Belgium is in the top ten largest | | | | environmentally friendly and cost-efficient for the |
| trading nations worldwide. Its strength in exports and | | | | shipping company or freight company. |
| freight services is partly due to its central location | | | | Belgium has a long history of investment in its |
| and also a work force which is of above average | | | | international freight infrastructure and shipping |
| productivity. With its central strategic location, | | | | companies. Its solid logistics and freight forwarding |
| Belgium is an important gateway between Europe | | | | networks always rank highly in international surveys. |
| and the world and the freight forwarding industry has | | | | It was one of the first countries in Europe to use |
| evolved to capitalise on this important asset of | | | | trains and it soon built up the densest railway |
| central location. Surrounded by Germany, the | | | | network in the world. The rail network transports |
| Netherlands, France and Luxembourg, as well as being | | | | over 62 million tons of freight every year, with high |
| very close to Great Britain, Belgium is at the heart of | | | | speed trains running up to ten times a day to |
| a consumer market made up of some 454 million | | | | London, Cologne, Amsterdam and Paris. |
| people, so it is one of the leading centres for | | | | Waterways transport has been improved by the |
| international freight. | | | | creation of boat lifts such as that on the Canal du |
| As well as freight services, its extraordinary strategic | | | | Centre. The port of Antwerp has built up large dock |
| location has also led to Belgium having an important | | | | yards and locks and the Berendrecht lock is the |
| position in international politics, with the European | | | | largest lock in the world. There are no less than |
| Union, NATO and over 1000 international | | | | seven international motorways, covering nearly 2000 |
| organisations having their base in Belgium. | | | | kilometres, which connect Belgium with France, |
| There has been a remarkable development of trade | | | | Germany and the Netherlands, making international |
| and international freight transport from Bruges, | | | | freight transport straight forward by road for freight |
| Antwerp and the Walloon industrial basins that has its | | | | companies. In addition, there are over 12,000 |
| roots right back in the middle ages. It was in the 14th | | | | kilometres of regional road networks. The airports |
| century that Antwerp started to develop as a port | | | | are also modern and efficient. Flight times to most |
| and today it is the fourth largest port in the world | | | | major cities in Europe are under two hours and some |
| and the second largest port in Europe. Antwerp | | | | 18 million passengers used the airport in 2007. |
| offers short transit times to all the world's main | | | | According to the Association of European Airlines |
| destinations. In 2007, almost 17,000 ships carrying | | | | (AEA) Brussels International Airport is the most |
| cargo of over 180 million tonnes docked in Antwerp. | | | | punctual airport in Europe. It also offers the fastest |
| Antwerp is also the fastest growing port for | | | | turnaround for air freight transport and handled nearly |
| container transport within the Hamburg - Le Havre | | | | 800,000 tonnes of freight in 2007. The airports of |
| range. As well as sea ports at Antwerp, Zeebrugge, | | | | Liege-Bierset, Charleroi, Antwerp and Ostend also |
| Ostend, Liege, Brussels, and Ghent, Belgium has also | | | | serve many foreign destinations. |
| established an efficient freight transport infrastructure | | | | With regard to freight services, Belgium has |
| made up of motorways, railways and waterways. | | | | developed the concept of combined transport. A |
| Belgium's extensive inland waterway network, which | | | | number of container ports for inland shipping have |
| is over 1500 kilometres long, connects the major | | | | been built and the port of Antwerp has been |
| Belgian sea ports to Europe's inland waterways, which | | | | expanded recently with a tidal container dock, the |
| are another important facility for shipping companies. | | | | Deurganck dock, which allows ships to be dealt with |
| Belgium's main rivers, the Scheldt and the Maas, and | | | | even more quickly. The high speed rail infrastructure |
| their connecting canals and tributaries, cover the | | | | to and from Antwerp port is also being extended |
| whole country.This is the second largest system of | | | | further. |
| waterways in Europe and offers very efficient | | | | |