The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group has opened a country office in Belgium, dedicated to sustaining strategic financing and sustainable growth in the country as a boost to the potential of the vibrant, dynamic and highly innovative Belgian business environment. The new office will be hosted in the Group’s Permanent EU Representation in Brussels and led by Torsten Brand, a dual Belgian-German national who has worked at the EIB for the past decade. The step by the Luxembourg-based EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), underscores its commitment to supporting the Belgian economy and deepening engagement with local businesses and the public sector.

Country Report No. 2025/216

Country Report No. 2025/217

Global trade developments continue to shape the outlook. Following an unprecedented escalation in tariffs imposed on the rest of the world in April, the United States partly reversed course, pausing the higher tariffs for most of its trading partners. This, and a de-escalation of trade tensions with China in May modestly reduced the US effective tariff rate from 24% to about 17%. Despite these welcome developments, tariffs remain historically high, and global policy remains highly uncertain, with only a few countries having reached fully-fleshed out trade agreements. This modest decline in trade tensions, however fragile, has contributed to the resilience of the global economy so far.

Technical Assistance Report No. 2025/072

Selected Issues Paper No. 2025/107

Selected Issues Paper No. 2025/108

Selected Issues Paper No. 2025/106