Foreign Trade Advisers

For the time being, the Belgian government can fall back on 403 Foreign Trade Advisers, 221 of whom are living abroad. These Advisers, who are appointed by Royal Decree, are selected from among people settled in Belgium who are deemed capable of helping to develop economic and trade relations between Belgium and its foreign partners.

Most Foreign Trade Advisers are businessmen and women who, over the years, have acquired extensive experience in foreign trade, economic affairs and international finance, and are willing to draw on their professional experience to advise the federal government, the various regional public and private bodies responsible for promoting foreign trade, and Belgian and Luxembourg exporters.

They are appointed for a potentially renewable four-year period.

The status of Foreign Trade Advisers was fixed by Royal Decree on 11 April 1984 (Belgian Official Gazette of 17 April 1984), amended by the Royal Decree of 4 June 1997 (Belgian Official Gazette of 3 July 1997), amended by the Royal Decree of 7 July 2002 (Belgian Official Gazette of 24 July 2002).

Together with Belgium's honorary consuls and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chambers of Commerce, foreign trade Advisers located abroad comprise what is referred to as Belgium's 'informal network', which complements the country's official network of Embassies and Consulates and regional economic and trade attachés.