Cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil and strip market in Belgium

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2021, the Belgian market for cellular polystyrene plates, sheets, film, foil and strip expanded, driven by rising demand across Europe. This led to a significant increase in imports, which grew from 10 730 t in 2018 to 26 147 t in 2021. Consumer preferences shifted towards more sustainable and traceable packaging, prompting the emergence of new segments like mono-material films and recyclable products.

Starting in 2022, the market began to contract due to tightening EU regulatory requirements on plastic use and packaging, including stricter labeling rules and circular economy principles. These measures directly affected production and market access. Concurrently, ongoing global supply-chain disruptions exacerbated the decline, causing market volume to fall from 17 965 t in 2022 to 12 947 t in 2024.

In 2024, intra-European trade dropped sharply, with imports and exports declining by 14.6% and 19.2% respectively, further constraining market activity. While consumer behavior continued to favor environmentally certified products, the overall market size decreased to 12 947 t.

Production cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil and strip in Belgium

According to Faostat, there is no production of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil and strip in Belgium.

Exports cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil and strip from Belgium

Exports in kind, t

Belgium's exports of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip reached 27 695 tonnes in 2020, marking a 15.3% decrease from 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports declined by 4.3%, with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%. The peak export volume was recorded in 2019 at 32 690 tonnes, which also saw the largest annual increase of 14.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Belgium in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Germany, France, and the Netherlands dominated Belgium's exports of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip in volume terms. Germany accounted for 46.2% of exports, France for 31.3%, and the Netherlands for 13.7%, together representing 91.2% of total export flows.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Belgium in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Belgium's export value of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip declined for the second consecutive year, reaching 59 105 thousand US dollars in 2020. This reflects a significant drop of 17.1% compared to 2019. Between 2017 and 2020, exports decreased by 18.6%, equivalent to an annualized rate of 6.6%. The highest value was recorded in 2018 at 73 228 thousand US dollars, which also saw the largest annual increase of 0.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Belgium in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In value terms from 2017 to 2020, Germany, the Netherlands, and France remained the top buyers of Belgium's cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip. Germany led with 49.1% of export value, followed by the Netherlands at 19.1%, and France at 17.0%, collectively accounting for 85.2% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Belgium in value, 2017-2020

Imports cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil and strip to Belgium

Imports in kind, t

Belgium's imports of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip increased for the second consecutive year, reaching 17 495 tonnes in 2020. This represents a modest growth of 6.9% compared to the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, imports rose by 41.9%, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.4%. The lowest import volume was recorded in 2018 at 10 730 tonnes, which also saw the largest annual decline of 13.0%. In contrast, 2019 experienced the largest annual increase of 52.5%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Belgium in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Germany, France, and the Netherlands were the primary sources for Belgium's imports of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip in volume terms. Germany contributed 46.7% of imports, France 25.9%, and the Netherlands 21.9%, together making up 94.5% of total import flows.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Belgium in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Belgium's import value of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip grew for the second year in a row, totaling 46 804 thousand US dollars in 2020. This indicates a slight increase of 2.4% from the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, imports increased by 19.4%, corresponding to an annualized rate of 6.1%. The lowest value was recorded in 2018 at 35 893 thousand US dollars, which also saw the largest annual decline of 8.5%. The largest annual increase occurred in 2019 at 27.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Belgium in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

In value terms from 2017 to 2020, Germany, the Netherlands, and France continued to be the main suppliers of cellular PS plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip to Belgium. Germany held 43.9% of import value, the Netherlands 25.5%, and France 23.7%, jointly forming 93.1% of total import value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Belgium in value, 2017-2020