Since the introduction of shipping policy, the Belgian-controlled merchant fleet has shown significant growth, as well as the tonnage sailing under Belgian flag

The Belgian maritime cluster has proved to be a very attractive choice for students, as evidenced by the enrolments at Antwerp's Maritime Academy.

Total employment (direct + indirect) of the Belgian maritime cluster is 14,951 FTE

In 2020, merchant shipping, towage and hydraulic engineering had a combined direct turnover of € 6.9 billion. The total (direct + indirect) value-added of the shipping sector had increased by 26% since 2016. Although total value-added still stood at 2.5 billion in 2016, this figure rose to 3.1 billion in 2020. Therefore, the shipping cluster generates 0.6% of Belgian GDP.

The figure shows the contribution of the various subsectors to the direct economic key figures. Hydraulic Engineering /Dredging creates a very high indirect employment and value-added, due to the nature of the activities that include a high degree of subcontracting. Since 2019, several merchant shipping subsectors, including bulk and container, have seen overcapacity turn into undercapacity, which has caused freight rates to rise considerably. Thus, the value-added of merchant shipping rose by 84% between 2016 and 2020.