Belgium

Belgium was the world's sixth-ranked producer of indium

Pictured: Lead-zinc-copper ore. Indium is produced mainly from residues generated during zinc ore processing.

Statistics and information on the mining industry in Belgium.

Overview

In 2024, Belgium was the world’s fourth-ranked producer of selenium, accounting for 5.4% of global production; fourth-ranked producer of arsenic trioxide, accounting for 1.6% of global production (not including United States production); and sixth-ranked producer of indium (intermediate, crude indium hydroxide), accounting for 1.7% of global production. Additionally, the country’s lime production accounted for 0.3% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in Belgium included cement, cobalt, copper, iron and steel, lead, nitrogen (ammonia), tin, and zinc.

Output by Belgium’s industry sector accounted for 14.3% of the country’s gross domestic product. The manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products contributed 3.2% to industry output; the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, 2.9%; and mining and quarrying, 0.07%. Mineral-related exports to the United States included antimony, arsenic, copper, diamond, germanium, iron oxide pigments, platinum, palladium, and zirconium. There is no national mining law in Belgium. According to Article 6 §1, VI of the Law of the Reform of 1980, the authority of policy and management of mineral resources in Belgium, apart from those on the continental shelf in the North Sea, is the responsibility of the three administrative regions of Belgium: Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, and Walloon Region. In the Flemish Region, surface mineral resource policy is regulated by the Decree on Surface Mineral Resources of April 4, 2003, as amended, and its associated implementing decree (VLAREOP) of March 26, 2004. In the Walloon Region, mines are regulated by the Mine Decree of July 7, 1988, and quarries are regulated mainly by the Quarries Decree of July 4, 2002, modified by the Decree of May 31, 2008, and the Decree of March 11, 1999, on the environmental permit. The mineral industry in Belgium was largely privately owned by either domestic or European-based companies apart from NLMK Belgium Holdings S.A., which was 49% owned by the Walloon Government, and the Umicore Group, which was 5% owned by the Belgian Government.

In 2024, the Belgian Government passed a new law on deep-sea mining, the Law Relating to the Protection of Human Beings and the Environment during the Prospection, the Exploration, and the Exploitation of Marine Resources, the Seabed and the Subsoil Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction, May 25, 2024. This law provides for the regulation of activities and environmental protection of the marine environment, as well as the dissemination of information for public participation in granting, amending, and renewing certificates of sponsorship. The Walloon Government passed the Decree of March 14, 2024, on establishing the Code for the Management of Subsurface Resources (Walloon Subsoil Code), which modernizes the previous legal framework for mines with provisions that establish time limits on mining permits and a new slag classification system. Additionally, it ensures long-term sustainability of mineral resources and the management of post-mining obligations.

In 2024, Belgium produced 1.01 million metric tons of lime, 1,000 metric tons of arsenic trioxide (estimated), 200 kilograms (kg) of selenium (estimated), and 19,000 kg of intermediate crude indium hydroxide (estimated). In January, Lhoist Industrie S.A. reduced the production of limestone at its Boverie Quarry to 510,000 t from 900,000 t and the production of lime at its On-Jemelle Plant to 200,000 t from 340,000 t to extend the lifespan of the quarry while it waited for approval to expand its quarry.

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

Introduction

Minerals in the National Economy

The gross domestic product (GDP) of Belgium increased by 1.1% in 2024; the nominal GDP was \$671 billion (EUR620 billion).¹ Output by the industry sector accounted for 14.3% of the GDP. The manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products contributed 3.2% to industry output by value; the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, 2.9%; and mining and quarrying, 0.07%. In 2024, about 73,300 people were employed in the manufacture of basic metals and metal products, excluding machinery and equipment; about 44,700 people in the manufacture of chemicals; about 27,200 people in the manufacture of nonmetallic mineral products; and about 2,300 people in the mining and quarrying sector (Banque nationale de Belgique, 2025a, p. 8; NBB.STAT, 2025a–c).

Government Policies and Programs

There is no national mining law in Belgium. According to Article 6 §1, VI of the Law of the Reform of 1980, the authority of policy and management of mineral resources in Belgium, apart from those on the continental shelf in the North Sea, is the responsibility of the three administrative regions of Belgium: Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, and Walloon Region. In the Flemish Region, surface mineral resource policy is regulated by the Decree on Surface Mineral Resources of April 4, 2003, as amended, and its associated implementing decree (VLAREOP) of March 26, 2004. In the Walloon Region, mineral industry-related legislation is based on the classification of mines and quarries, which is defined based on the mineral resource extracted; metal and energy minerals are extracted from mines while industrial minerals are extracted from quarries. Mines are regulated by the Mine Decree of July 7, 1988, which establishes the granting of mining concessions by the Walloon Government. Quarries are regulated mainly by the Quarries Decree of July 4, 2002, modified by the Decree of May 31, 2008, which establishes the obligation for environmental permitting, and the Decree of March 11, 1999, on the environmental permit (United Nations, 2010, p. 26, 32; European Commission, 2019, p. 2).

In 2024, the Belgian Government passed a new law on deep-sea mining, the Law Relating to the Protection of Human Beings and the Environment during the Prospecting, the Exploration, and the Exploitation of Marine Resources, the Seabed and the Subsoil Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction, May 25, 2024. This law provides for the regulation of activities and environmental protection of the marine environment, as well as the dissemination of information for public participation in granting, amending, and renewing certificates of sponsorship. The Walloon Government passed the Decree of March 14, 2024, on establishing the Code for the Management of Subsurface Resources (Walloon Subsoil Code), which modernizes the previous legal framework for mines with provisions that establish time limits on mining permits and a new slag classification system. Additionally, it ensures long-term sustainability of mineral resources and the management of post-mining obligations. More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Europe and Central Eurasia, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ… (Service Public Fédéral Belge, 2024; Wallex, 2024; Wallonie, 2024).

Production

Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1).

Structure of the Mineral Industry

The mineral industry in Belgium was largely privately owned by either domestic or European-based companies. The Walloon Government, through its investment company Wallonie Entreprendre, held a 49% stake in NLMK Belgium Holdings S.A. NLMK Belgium Holdings owned the steel rolling mills operated by NLMK Clabecq S.A. and NLMK La Louviere S.A. Additionally, the Belgian Government, through its holding company Société Fédérale de Participations et d’Investissement, increased its share in Umicore Group to 5% in May 2024 from 3%. Umicore N.V.–S.A., the parent company of the Umicore Group and headquartered in Brussels, operated refining and recycling plants in Hoboken and Olen. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities (Bouckley and Tanatar, 2023; Umicore N.V.–S.A., 2024; 2025, p. 64).

Mineral Trade

The total value of Belgium’s trade of goods, both export and import, decreased in 2024 owing largely to a decline in diamond trade in Antwerp as well as a decrease in the value of natural gas in the mineral products sector. According to the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, Belgium ranked 13th among the world’s leading exporters of goods (including re-exports), accounting for 2.2% of the global share of exports. The country exported a total of \$536 billion in goods, which was a decrease of 5.7% compared with that in 2023. Chemical products were the leading category of exports, accounting for 25.9% of the total exports of goods. Mineral products accounted for 11.7% of the total exports of goods; machinery and equipment, 10.5%; base metals, 7.3%; and precious metals and stones, 2.3%. Belgium’s top export recipients, by value, were Germany, which accounted for 18.0% of Belgium’s total exports of goods; France, 13.2%; the Netherlands, 13.1%; the United States, 6.7%; and the United Kingdom, 5.9% (Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025a, p. 5, 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, 34).

According to the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, Belgium ranked 15th among the world’s leading importers of goods (including imports for re-export), accounting for 2.1% of the global share of goods in 2024. The country imported a total of \$513 billion in goods, which was a decrease of 7.8% compared with that in 2023. Chemical products were the leading category of imports, accounting for 22.8% of the total imports of goods. Mineral products accounted for 16.4% of the total imports of goods; machinery and equipment, 13.1%; base metals, 6.5%; and precious metals and stones, 2.0%. Belgium imported most of its goods from the Netherlands, which accounted for 20.6% of the country’s total imports of goods by value; Germany, 12.3%; France, 10.1%; China, 6.8%; and the United States, 6.6% (Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025a, p. 17, 30, 32, 34).

Belgium remained a leading global exporter of multiple minerals and mineral products. Based on 4-digit product headings in the Harmonized System (H.S.), the country was the world’s leading exporter of master copper alloys, accounting for 42.0% of global exports in 2024; zinc dust, powders, and flakes, 24.5%; unwrought zinc, 10.6%; and dolomite, 9.6%. Belgium was the second-ranked leading exporter of nitric acid and sulfonitric acids, accounting for 19.2% of global exports; and the third-ranked exporter of flat-rolled products of stainless steel, 12.6%, and articles of pearls, precious, and semiprecious stones, 9.7%. The country was the fourth-ranked exporter of titanium ores and concentrates, 7.3%; copper wire, 6.9%, slag, ash, and residues containing metals, arsenic, or their compounds, 6.8%; flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel (clad, plated, or coated), 6.5%; flat-rolled products of iron or nonalloy steel (hot-rolled), 4.7%; and quicklime, slaked lime, and hydraulic lime, 4.5%. Mineral-related exports to the United States included antimony, arsenic, copper, diamond, germanium, iron oxide pigments, platinum, palladium, and zirconium (Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025b, p. 3, 4, 6–8, 10–12; Flanagan, 2026a; Johnston, 2026; Kim, 2026; Klochko, 2026; Olson, 2026; Schnebele, 2026; Schulte, 2026; Tolcin, 2026).

Commodity Review

Arsenic.—An estimated 1,000 metric tons (t) of arsenic trioxide was produced in Belgium in 2024. Umicore produced arsenic trioxide at its plant in Hoboken from the recycling of electronic scrap. Based on H.S. subheading 280480, Belgium imported 66 t of arsenic metal valued at about \$247,000. The country’s leading import suppliers were the Netherlands, which accounted for 89.8% of the total value of arsenic metal imports; Luxembourg, 9.6%; and France, 0.5% (Facilities table; Production table; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026; Umicore N.V.–S.A., undated a).

Cobalt.—The country produced an estimated 600 t of Co content in 2024. At its plant in Olen, Umicore produced cobalt metal powders, oxides, and salts from recycled materials including production scrap and batteries. In 2024, Belgium imported 28,900 t of cobalt matte, other intermediate products, and articles thereof, including cobalt waste and scrap (H.S. heading 8105), valued at \$145 million, of which the United States was the country’s main supplier (Facilities table; Production table; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026; Umicore N.V.–S.A., undated b).

Indium.—Belgium produced an estimated 19,000 kilograms (kg) of intermediate crude indium hydroxide in 2024. Umicore in Hoboken produced intermediate crude indium hydroxide from indium tin oxide production residues from its lead refinery. The company had a production capacity of 50 metric tons per year (t/yr) of products containing indium, which were used in the manufacture of electronics (Facilities table; Production table; Umicore N.V.–S.A., undated c–e).

Lime.—In 2024, the country produced 1.01 million metric tons (Mt) of lime (including hydraulic lime and quicklime), which was a decrease of about 3.5% compared with that in 2023. Lime exports, which included quicklime, slaked lime, and hydraulic lime, were valued at \$60.6 million (Production table; Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025b, p. 12).

In January, Lhoist Industrie S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lhoist Group, reduced limestone production at its Boverie Quarry to 510,000 t from 900,000 t and lime production at its On-Jemelle Plant to 200,000 t from 340,000 t. The reduction was implemented to extend the lifespan of the quarry, where authorized reserves were nearing depletion, while the company’s request to expand the quarry remained under review. In May, the company submitted its final environmental impact assessment. Public input and approval by the town of Rochefort to rezone a 0.15-square-kilometer plot of land adjacent to the quarry were expected to be completed in 2025, after which the company planned to submit its quarry extension permit application. The proposed expansion would extend the quarry’s life by 14 years and provide an estimated 13.2 Mt of additional limestone for lime production at the On-Jemelle Plant (Facilities table; Lhoist Industrie S.A., 2024; 2025, p. 4–6, 21).

Selenium.—Belgium produced an estimated 200,000 kg of selenium in 2024. Based on H.S. subheading 280490 for selenium, the country exported 272 t of selenium valued at \$8.5 million and was the world’s sixth-ranked exporter of selenium by value. Umicore recovered selenium as a byproduct of lead refining at its Hoboken facility, which had a production capacity of 300 t/yr of selenium (Facilities table; Production table, Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026; Umicore N.V.–S.A., undated d–f).

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

Table includes data available through March 24, 2026. All data are reported unless otherwise noted. Estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits. In addition to the commodities listed, antimony, bismuth metal, cadmium, gold, kaolin, lime and deadburned dolomite, limestone, manganese compounds, nickel, nitrates, nitric acid, platinum-group metals, sand and gravel, secondary aluminum, silica sand, silver, sodium sulfate, sulfur, sulfuric acid, tellurium, and worked and natural stone may have been produced, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.
Commodity	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Arsenic trioxide	1,000^e	1,000^e	1,000^e	1,000^e	1,000^e
Cement, hydraulic	7,580,328	7,627,208	7,236,298	6,638,102	6,243,510
Cobalt, refinery, metal powder, oxide, hydroxide, Co content	1,300^e	700^e	0^e	700^e	600^e
Copper, refinery, primary, Cu content	188,000	227,900	222,300	222,500	217,600
Copper, refinery, secondary, Cu content	133,500	158,600	155,300	156,600	152,900
Copper, smelter, secondary, Cu content	152,000	151,900	139,100	100,200	103,500
Indium, refinery, intermediate, crude indium hydroxide, In content (kilograms)	20,000^e	20,000^e	19,000^e	19,000^e	19,000^e
Lead, refinery, secondary	122,748	155,840	108,800	131,944	150,444
Lime, includes hydraulic and quicklime	1,169,996	1,266,537	1,162,716	1,041,544	1,005,204
Nitrogen, ammonia, N content	850,000^e	680,000^e	580,000^e	600,000^e	720,000^e
Pig iron	3,647,465	4,211,801	4,426,257	3,780,000	4,520,000^e
Raw steel	6,119,000	6,909,000	7,030,372	5,864,000	7,100,000
Selenium, Se content (kilograms)	200,000^e	200,000^e	200,000^e	200,000^e	200,000^e
Steel products, hot-rolled	8,110,000	8,260,000	6,910,000	7,390,000	7,600,000
Tin, smelter, secondary	9,000	9,800	8,961	8,040	8,217
Zinc, smelter, primary, slab	280,000^e	280,000^e	250,000^e	210,000^e	210,000^e

^e Estimated.

References Cited

Banque nationale de Belgique, 2025a, National accounts 2024—Detailed accounts: Brussels, Belgium, Banque nationale de Belgique, October 17, 21 p. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://www.nbb.be/doc/dq/f/dq3/histo/nfdc24.pdf.)

Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025a, Belgian foreign trade2024: Brussels, Belgium, Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, June, 50 p. (Accessed April 2, 2026, via https://www.abh-ace.be/en/countries-and-statistics/belgian-trade.)

Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, 2025b, Most important products exported by Belgium in 2024: Brussels, Belgium, Belgian Foreign Trade Agency, August, 17 p. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://abh-ace.be/sites/default/files/documents/2025-08/Belgium%27s_mo….)

Bouckley, Katya, and Tanatar, Maria, 2023, NLMK Belgium requests sanctions suspension on Russian slab in exchange for green investments: Luxembourg, EUROMETAL, October 12. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://eurometal.net/nlmk-belgium-requests-sanctions-suspension-on-rus….)

Crangle, Rob, 2026, Indium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 98–99.

European Commission, 2019, MINLEX—Belgium country report: Brussels, Belgium, European Commission, 73 p. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://rmis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/uploads/legislation/MINLEX_CountryReport_….)

Flanagan, D.M., 2026a, Copper: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 72–73.

Flanagan, D.M., 2026b, Selenium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 168–169.

Johnston, S.N., 2026, Zirconium and hafnium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 214–215.

Kim, Ji-Eun, 2026, Iron oxide pigments: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 110–111.

Klochko, Kateryna, 2026, Antimony: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 42–43.

Lhoist Industrie S.A., 2024, Le project d’extension en surface, vital pour Lhoist Industrie [The surface extension project, vital for Lhoist Industrie]: Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, Lhoist Industrie S.A. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://web.archive.org/web/20250421163740/https://www.lhoist-rochefort….) [In French.]

Lhoist Industrie S.A., 2025, Séance d’information en prévision de l’enquête publique [Information session in preparation for the public inquiry]: Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, Lhoist Industrie S.A., January 29, 57 p. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://www.lhoist-rochefort.be/sites/default/files/uploads/seance-d-in….) [In French.]

MacGregor, JohnRyan, 2026, Lime: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 116–117.

NBB.STAT, 2025a, Employment by branch of activity and sector—Annual data: Brussels, Belgium, Banque nationale de Belgique online statistical database, October 16. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://dataexplorer.nbb.be/vis?tm=employment&pg=0&fs[0]=Frequency%2C0%…;

NBB.STAT, 2025b, GDP according to the 3 approaches—Quarterly and annual data: Brussels, Belgium, Banque nationale de Belgique, Online Statistics, October 16. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://dataexplorer.nbb.be/vis?lc=en&fs[0]=Economy%2C0%7CNational%20ac…;

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Olson, D.W., 2026, Gemstones: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 86–87.

Schnebele, E.K., 2026, Arsenic: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 44–45.

Schulte, R.F., 2026, Platinum-group metals: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 144–145.

Service Public Fédéral Belge, 2024, Loi Relative à la Protection des Êtres Humains et de l'Environnement lors de la Prospection, de l'Exploration et de l'Exploitation des Ressources Marines, des Fonds Marins et du Sous-sol au-Delà des Limites de la Juridiction Nationale [Law Relating to the Protection of Human Beings and the Environment during the Prospecting, the Exploration, and the Exploitation of Marine Resources, the Seabed and the Subsoil Beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction]: Brussels, Belgium, Service Public Fédéral Belge Justel database, May 25. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/article.pl?language=fr&lg_txt….) [In French.]

Tolcin, A.C., 2026, Germanium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 88–89.

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Umicore N.V.–S.A., [undated]c, Indium: Brussels, Belgium, Umicore N.V.–S.A. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://www.umicore.com/en/markets-products/metals/indium/.)

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Umicore N.V.–S.A., [undated]f, Selenium: Brussels, Belgium, Umicore N.V.–S.A. (Accessed April 2, 2026, at https://www.umicore.com/en/markets-products/metals/selenium.)

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