Belgium Is a Major Player in International Business

IN A CHANGING WORLD, BELGIUM IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

BNP PARIBAS FORTIS, Port House in Antwerp YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER

The bank for a changing world Small country, big history. Belgium has a host of strengths to offer any international corporation looking to set up here. There are good reasons, for instance, why the world’s biggest chemical firms have chosen to invest in this country.

UK NL BELGIUM AT A GLANCE DE

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CAPITAL OTHER POPULATION SURFACE Brussels 11 million 30,528 km2 MAJOR CITIES inhabitants Antwerp, Liège, Ghent, Charleroi, Bruges 4

Gateway to Europe 5 REASONS Outward-looking economy GEOGRAPHICAL AND CULTURAL TO SET UP Highly skilled workforce Attractive tax structure GATEWAY TO EUROPE IN BELGIUM Government financial support

Belgium is a founding member of life and a rich artistic and cultural Major cities like Paris, Amsterdam, Thanks to our North Sea coast the country and into continental the European Union, ideally situated heritage. Rubens, Magritte, Hergé London and Cologne are readily and major rivers, Belgium also Europe. Antwerp – Europe’s second between Germany, the Netherlands, were born in Belgium! accessible thanks to a European has several major ports for the largest port – offers direct links to France and Luxembourg. The network of high-speed trains that worldwide transport of goods the industrial centres of Flanders, Belgium stands out for its continental country is located culturally at the enables business leaders and their (Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent, Ostend, Wallonia, the Netherlands, Germany, and global mobility. Airports in crossroads of the Latin, Germanic employees to travel swiftly and Brussels and Liège). A dense network France and many other European Brussels, Liège, Charleroi, Antwerp and Anglo-Saxon worlds. Belgium conveniently. of inland waterways allows profitable destinations. and Ostend offer a full range of boasts a highly regarded quality of and ecological transportation across international connections.

Liège-Guillemins railway station Port of Antwerp 6

OPEN ECONOMY AND TOP-QUALITY EDUCATION

The country’s economy is firmly internationalized, with exports accounting for more than 85% of Belgium’s gross domestic product in 2017. Belgium offers a highly educated, multilingual and productive BNP PARIBAS FORTIS workforce. Our higher-education sector has developed close ties SUPPORTS NINE UNIVERSITY with business, while flourishing CHAIRS knowledge hubs across the country drive innovation in a variety of fields. Belgium represents 18% of Europe’s biotech turnover, for instance, and over a tenth of its total R&D spend.

It’s an effective way for our bank to bring scientific research, education and business together to pursue key new developments for the Belgian economy. 8

GRANTS AND A COMPETITIVE TAX ENVIRONMENT

Belgium is a federal country. VARIOUS BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU Its three Regions (Flemish Region, ON TAX FRONT, INCLUDING: Walloon Region and Brussels Capital ■ Attractive corporation tax rates Region) are responsible for their own employment and trade (imports and ■ Tax breaks on energy-saving exports), with each offering its own investments benefi ts and fi nancial incentives. ■ Tax breaks on R&D investments These vary according to the ■ An innovation deduction for income associated employment and value from sources like patents and copy- European Parliament creation. EU structural funds support right-protected software foreign investment too. ■ Carry-over of tax losses to subse- quent fi nancial years without a time limit The city is also a leading centre Brussels is the multilingual capital ■ Deferred settlement of import VAT of Europe, hosting the European for the media, trade and business, on purchased goods: no advance VAT Commission and Parliament, NATO bringing together 1,200 journalists, payment or guarantee is required headquarters, Eurocontrol, the 1,300 international companies and BNP PARIBAS FORTIS World Customs Organisation, Swift hundreds of legal and consultancy AT YOUR SIDE and Euroclear, together with 3,000 fi rms. With many different languages Details of the various types of support that are other international organisations, and nationalities, Belgium is available and the bodies where you apply for 160 embassies and over 800 worldwide known for its culture of them are set out on the following webpage: international NGOs. ‘compromise’! https://companies.bnpparibasfortis.be/ en/subsidy 10

SOME GOOD ADDRESSES BNP PARIBAS FORTIS FACILITATES THE LIFE The country of beer, chocolate, waﬄ es, fries and business OF YOUR BUSINESS You are part of an international group who wishes to establish its Belgium is one of the best environments (cultural, social, educational, medical…) in Europe to Head oﬃ ce in our country? live in and to set up your business. Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), And in addition to our thorough the Walloon Export and Foreign BNP Paribas Fortis has the solutions knowledge of the Belgian market, you Investment Agency (AWEX) and and custom advice that you, your can rely on the global resources of the Brussels Invest & Export have the company and your employees need. BNP Paribas group. detailed information you need to choose the right location in Belgium.

www.ﬂ andersinvestmentandtrade.com www.investinwallonia.be www.investinbrussels.com www.business.belgium.be www.investinbelgium.fgov.be www.investinbrussels.be www.investinﬂ anders.be www.diplomatie.belgium.be 12

WHO ARE WE? Two out of three companies registered in Belgium have placed their trust in us.

Wherever they happen to be in the WHEN NECESSARY, YOUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER WILL CALL IN country, they can count on their OUR EXPERTS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: Relationship Manager, whose priority ■ Cash Management ■ Private Equity is to identify the opportunities ■ Leasing ■ Structured Finance available to them and suggest ■ Factoring ■ Investment Solutions responses that add real value. ■ Fixed Income ■ Securities Services ■ Global Trade Solutions ■ Real Estate ■ Capital Markets ■ Asset Management ■ Corporate Finance ■ Personal Finance (Mergers & Acquisitions) WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS SAY? Shurgard established its global centre of excellence in Brussels. BNP PARIBAS FORTIS Its CEO, Marc Oursin, says: “It seemed an obvious choice for us because of in a few figures the city’s central location in Europe, but also because its residents speak a number of languages. The choice of BNP Paribas Fortis as main banking partner was driven by the fact that we wanted to use a single bank for optimum management of our cash flows. The Cash Management program implemented by BNP Paribas Fortis has given us a better overview of our cash flow situation in all countries where we are present.” NET INCOME EMPLOYEES CUSTOMERS PRESENT IN NETWORK EUR 1,9 billion 13,500 3,5 million: more than 780 branches, in 2017 individuals, 75 countries 32 Private self-employed Banking Centres, and companies 16 Business Centres 14 EASY BANKING BUSINESS genuine self-service banking aimed at corporations

CONNEXIS cash and trade with WHAT SPECIFICALLY detailed reporting in a few clicks

CAN WE OFFER YOU? CENTRIC your online dealing room Your company wants to establish Whatever your specifi c payment its business in Belgium and thinks security needs might be, we have of buying or renting premises or an integrated cross-border fi nance equipment? Perhaps you have offering for both exports and imports. seasonal operations that mean Doing business internationally also you need to optimise your working means dealing with market volatility. capital? Whatever your company Our Fixed Income Sales team will requires, our entire banking and help you shield your company insurance offering is here to serve from fl uctuations in interest rates, you: traditional fi nance, factoring exchange rates and commodity prices. and leasing. You might also be weighing up It’s also important for an international potential acquisitions or nurturing business like yours to benefi t from ambitions of fresh growth. Our the excellent international cash Private Equity and Corporate management tools offered by BNP Finance experts will guide you Paribas Fortis: cash pooling, notional through the key stages of your pooling and reporting solutions, project such as bringing in a new including online platforms that shareholder, mergers, primary equity let you manage in real time your market transactions and capital payments and collections between restructuring. all your accounts around the world.

BNP Paribas Fortis: a solid local anchoring, a large international network 16

BNP PARIBAS FORTIS WE’RE COMMITTED TO INSPIRING YOU. ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET SUSTAINABLY FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ‘I am convinced that we can always do Through our achievements, we want Setting the right example and helping more and better for our clients, first to prove that we are both a ﬁ nancial businesses on the way towards We’re the leading bank in Belgium when it comes to of all by investing in their preferred services provider AND a socially sustainability has to be the raison channels, by further simplifying our responsible company. Where CSR d’être for a major bank. Welcome to enabling future expats like you and your employees processes and by contributing to is concerned, BNP Paribas Fortis Belgium and to BNP Paribas Fortis! lasting results for their business on a has long adhered to strict codes of to become clients remotely and in a few clicks. daily basis’. Didier Beauvois, Head of conduct, as its investments reﬂ ect Corporate Banking and member of the on its clients, its employees, its An application will only take 15 minutes. BNP Paribas Fortis Executive Board. reputation and the sector as a whole.

Once it is accepted, everything will then be ready and waiting for you on the day you arrive: accounts, cards, rental deposit and insurances! You can get on with living, working and savouring all our wonderful country has to offer straight away. Do you need to recruit fresh talent? Reward the staff who’ve moved with you? BNP Paribas Fortis can help you offer your employees all sorts of extra beneﬁ ts, including company cars, hospitalisation insurance... > TITEL_1_UP_CONTINUE 18

The Belgian dream exists. It’s yours. And BNP Paribas Fortis helps you make it happen. FOLLOW US VISIT OUR WEBSITE

ON https://companies.bnpparibasfortis.be or contact your Relationship Manager Printed on @BNPPFBelgique & recycled paper @BNPPFBelgie (#BNPPFBusiness) CORPORATE BANKING

BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV, Montagne du Parc 3, B-1000 Brussels, RPM/RPR Brussels, VAT BE0403.199.702, Intermediary authorized under number 25.879A by the FSMA

This brochure was created for informative purposes by BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV. The information contained in this brochure is subject to change.

Responsible editor: Olivier Peeters І PIE00001025B_EN - 00B_EN- May 2018 - August 2017

The bank for a changing world