PM Bart De Wever's visit to India boosts trade relations as Port of Antwerp-Bruges hosts key discussions in Mumbai on 4 September.
Following Prime Minister Bart De Wever's official visit to India, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and its 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. This event is part of the 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 the 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. The 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, the 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 the 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 the 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
The 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.
