California partners with Belgium to boost business, strengthen economic ties

What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced a new partnership with Belgium, focusing on economic development and global trade.

SAN FRANCISCO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a new international partnership between California and Belgium to grow economic relations and advance research and innovation, including in clean technologies.

In San Francisco, the Governor and a delegation from California welcomed Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Princess of Belgium, who is leading the largest Belgian trade mission to California in their history. California and Belgium are important trading partners and share close economic, academic, and cultural ties.

The two delegations held a bilateral meeting that focused on the innovation economy, clean energy and opportunities to advance mutually important sectors like aerospace and semiconductors. California and Belgium signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate trade, entrepreneurship, business engagement, and strengthen the innovation ecosystem. Text of the MOU is available here.

There's no better place to do business than right here in California, the world's fourth-largest economy. That's why we're proud to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid and Belgium's largest trade mission to our state in history. At its core, our work together proves California remains a stable, reliable partner on the global stage.

Governor Gavin Newsom

"The Belgian economic mission to California is part of a strong and sustainable tradition of transatlantic cooperation," said Belgium's Ambassador to the United States, Frédéric Bernard. "Belgium being a hub for innovation, sustainability, and creativity, we are happy to build lasting ties, seize opportunities and fortify a concrete, balanced and resilient partnership with the United States."

What the partnership does

• Promotes mutually beneficial trade and economic development by facilitating entrepreneurship, business engagement, and trade promotion.

• Strengthens innovation ecosystems through public-private collaboration, academic and research exchange, and joint development projects.

• Advances partnerships across sectors by fostering private sector, government-to-government, and public-private collaborations within key industries.

• Facilitates knowledge and policy exchange by sharing best practices, promoting information exchange, and supporting dialogues, delegations, and regional partnerships.

A strong trade partnership

In 2024, two-way trade between California and Belgium totaled $3.3 billion, with California exports to Belgium increasing by more than 10%. California's top exports to Belgium include pharmaceuticals and medicine, manufactured commodities like medical equipment, and electronics. With nearly $900 million in imports to California, the state ranks as one of the top American importers of Belgian products. Belgium is also a significant source of direct foreign investment for California, with Belgian-owned companies supporting more than 4,300 jobs across various sectors and regions in California.

How we got here

California has long been a key player on the international stage - from taking joint action on climate change to identifying new pathways and partnerships for sustained economic growth. During the Newsom Administration alone, California has formed 42 international partnerships that lay critical groundwork for our continued economic success as well as prioritizing workers and businesses that benefit from these new opportunities.

Last month in New York, the Governor launched two new international partnerships with Brazil and Kenya focused on climate and economic efforts.