Edible oil · importers
Belgium closes the top ten at $3.2B in the fats and oils chapter, and the chapter carries more weight in its import bill than in most larger European economies.
| Market | HS 15 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $17.2B |
| India | $16.8B |
| China | $12.6B |
| Netherlands | $8.6B |
| Italy | $7.0B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 15 (animal or vegetable fats and oils). Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Pakistan is above at the same rounded $3.2B and the United Kingdom below at $3.0B. Belgium’s 2.2% share of reported world imports is tied with Pakistan’s, so the order is loose. The chapter is 0.9% of its $356.5B imports and ranks 18th among its import chapters.
Belgium has a strong confectionery, biscuit and food-manufacturing sector that uses fats and oils as ingredients, and its ports and canals connect it to the wider Rhine-area market. Some of what enters is used locally, and some moves on. Ask the importer which case it is, and what specification the manufacturing customers require.
Confectionery makers often want specific fat properties, so technical data sheets are part of the selling process. Melting behaviour, taste neutrality and consistency between batches can matter as much as price, and a supplier able to document them will find that conversations move faster with manufacturing buyers.
The Netherlands, Germany, France and the USA lead Belgium’s overall source list, which covers all goods and shows how much trade crosses nearby borders. Some cargo bound for Belgian buyers may clear in a neighbouring port, so ask where customs clearance happens.
The $3.2B covers the whole of HS chapter 15, animal and vegetable fats and oils, so edible oils are a part. National reporting choices and onward trade can shift a market’s position.
Confirm current labelling, sustainability and food-safety requirements with the authorities. Oil-heading shipment records name consignees, and this site’s free marketplace helps you contact them once you have agreed Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port.
Tenth of 96 markets at $3.2B in 2024, a 2.2% share of reported world imports.
It is 0.9% of $356.5B and ranks 18th among its import chapters.
No. Animal fats are part of the same chapter.
Search oil-heading shipment records and read consignee names and weights.
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