More than 9 out of 10 foreign investments in Flanders are made by companies from 12 countries. Just like in previous years, the US takes pole position. The number of new American investment projects reached 40 in 2018, compared to 46 in 2017. As such, the US represents just under one fifth of all foreign investment projects in Flanders.
Flanders’ neighbors also reconfirm their standings as major investors in the region. The Netherlands, France and Germany claim 2nd, 3rd and 4th place in the top 10, respectively. The UK comes in at number 7, a position it shares with Switzerland. Two other European countries appear in the list as well: Sweden at number 9 and Denmark at a joint 10th place. Finally, four countries from Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa claim their spots in the top 10: Japan and China both come in at number 5, Turkey and South Africa share 10th place with Denmark.