Belgium once had many companies making cars here but as they rationalised production, plants closed and work was moved to lower wage countries. Now two car makers and one CV manufacturer of reasonable size remain. Car volume was down 21% and CVs -3% in 2018. The XC40 is made by Volvo at its plant in Gent, while Audi make the E-Tron near Brussels. Just over 40,000 Volvo trucks were made in Belgium too.
| Passenger Cars | ||||||||
| 17 | 18 | Brand | 2018 | % | +/- | 2017 | % | +/- |
| 1 | 1 | Volvo | 199,703 | 75.8% | -16% | 237,731 | 71.4% | -4% |
| 2 | 2 | Audi | 63,861 | 24.2% | -33% | 95,248 | 28.6% | -10% |
| Total | 263,564 | 86.1% | -21% | 332,979 | 88.3% | -6% | ||
| Commercial Vehicles | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Volvo | 42,090 | 99.0% | -3% | 43,512 | 98.8% | -3% |
| 2 | 2 | Van Hool | 349 | 0.8% | -7% | 374 | 0.8% | -31% |
| 3 | 3 | Truco | 96 | 0.2% | -30% | 137 | 0.3% | 11% |
| Total | 42,535 | 13.9% | -3% | 44,023 | 11.7% | -3% | ||
| Grand Total | 306,099 | -19% | 377,002 | -6% | ||||
"Belgium once had many companies making cars here but as they rationalised production, plants closed and work was moved to lower wage countries."
ReplyDeleteThis is an oversimplification to the extent that bypasses the point. Belgium lives well without car industry (not to mention the strong trade unionist tradition) and never developed a particular loyalty to these brands. Belgian buy two-three times more BMWs than Volvos, which would not be possible e.g. in Sweden. Opel could never achieve anything despite local production, and people buy far more Renaults, to which many developed stronger ties (nobody believed the "German" trade mark of GM in the first place).