In Belgium, many are fearing that Brexit – deal or no deal – could have a huge impact on the country’s economy. Today as much of 7.8 percent of Belgian exports are sent to the UK and just over 5 percent of imports travel in the opposite direction. Belgium is the UK’s sixth-largest export market, worth £10billion a year, but Britain is Belgium’s fourth-largest export market with two-way trade worth £22billion, of which £2billion is in services.

As a result, while the UK’s withdrawal from the EU could have a huge impact on Belgium.

The country’s food and beverages, administration, and textiles sectors are the ones most vulnerable to Brexit-related job losses.

According to economics professor Hylke Vandenbussche, failure from the EU and Downing Street to reach a trade agreement could result in the loss of 42,000 jobs in Belgium.

Her research also suggested that even if a ‘soft Brexit’ is secured,10,000 jobs could still be lost.

Asked last week by Euractiv how prepared Belgium was for Brexit, Ms Vandenbussche said: “Not very much.”

She pointed to a survey initiated by the Belgian government of firms in 2018, which revealed that only 25 percent were ready for Brexit “and I’m guessing that these were mostly the larger firms, so it’s in the interests of everyone to delay, to delay, to delay”.

In March last year, as Belgium was preparing for Britain’s scheduled departure, the country received a worrying forecast for post-Brexit life.

Hand Geeroms, the Central Bank’s senior EU policy adviser, said: “The national bank estimates the economic cost of a hard Brexit at 0.9 percent of GDP.”

He said: “The most optimistic scenario gives a loss in purchasing power of 0.4 percent. The most pessimistic scenario gives a loss in purchasing power of 2.5 percent.

“This is the price Belgians will pay for a decision of the British people to leave the single market.”

Belgium does much of its trade through its ports off the North Sea in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, where much of its trade with Britain passes.

Belgian Prime Minister at the time, Charles Michel, told a news conference his government was pushing ahead with preparations for a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

He said: “But I also say clearly that I know we will face problems. It won’t be a walk in the park. We know that very well.”

The new Belgian Prime Minister – Sophie Wilmes – has called on an agreement between London and Brussels which allows for trade.

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She also said Europe’s leaders should get behind the EU’s Chief Negotiator – Michel Barnier.

Following Boris Johnson’s election victory in December, she said: “I think that what is very important is that after the transition period we will be in the situation that we will be able to trade with the United Kingdom.

“You know that Belgium for example, is very much implicated in trade with the United Kingdom, but we should speak as one voice, one voice for Europe and for that reason we have to give a clear mandate to Michel Barnier to negotiate what our new relationship will be as one voice again.”

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