According to the April 2022 quarterly survey on the appraisal of borrowing conditions, companies find that the general conditions for access to bank loans have got tougher. The percentage of companies saying they found borrowing conditions tight has risen sharply from 9.9 % in January to 16.5 % in April.

Under an agreement between the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Ukrainian refugees can from now on exchange hryvnia banknotes for euros in Belgium. This service, made possible by the federal government, is offered at the NBB’s counters. The following banks have also agreed to cooperate: Belfius, Beobank, BNP Paribas Fortis, CBC, ING, KBC and KBC Brussels.

After a sharp fall in March, consumer confidence is continuing its cautious recovery this month. However, families still have low expectations regarding their financial situation and expect to save less in the coming months.

In view of the Batibouw construction fair, the National Bank has collected all available information on the recent situation on the Belgian construction and real estate market in a new and dynamic dashboard, where you will find indicators and graphs about subjects such as mortgage loans, housing investments, employment and construction industry sentiment.

On Thursday 19 May, the symbolic foundation stone of the new NBB cash centre in Zellik (Asse) was laid. By the end of 2024, this modern, eco-friendly infrastructure will house the National Bank's logistical cash activities. In his speech to local residents and other stakeholders, Director Hermans spoke of “an important day in the history of the National Bank”.

In the latest NBB blog post, our expert explains why a watered-down version of the Basel IV accords is insufficient to ensure financial stability.

According to the new NBB report on the economic importance of the Belgian ports, the system of temporary unemployment has avoided many redundancies. Moreover, maritime business activities were considered essential and could operate without interruption.

Report recommends to strengthen the coordination, to increase the interaction with users and to exploit new data sources. The National Bank of Belgium is involved as producer of macroeconomic statistics.

Exports of goods rose by 33.5 % and imports increased by 40.0 % in March. The war in Ukraine exacerbated already existing tensions on the energy markets. Belgian exports to the warring countries fell sharply, but with little impact on the total.

The steep rise in energy prices and wages is affecting firms in all sectors, but in varying degrees. The ultimate impact depends on the extent to which firms can pass on those higher costs to their customers. This study describes the consequences for Belgian firms’ profit margins.