In March 2022, about 240 Belgian companies had one or more establishments in Russia, according to a tally done by L'Echo and De Tijd with the help of the GraydonCreditSafe information bureau. Today, the number has hardly changed: about 10 departures have been reported since 2020, according to the dailies.
Other potential sources such as the Belgian embassy, the Belgian Foreign Ministry and the Economic Affairs Department remain silent on this issue so the dailies called each of the main groups concerned. Based on their responses, they divided them into three categories: those who wish to leave but have not yet managed to do so, those who are waiting, and those who have decided to stay.
Brewer AB InBev, the Solvay chemical group, glassmaker AGC Europe and window/ door manufacturer Deceuninck, are groups on the way out.
Silicone and insulation foam producer Soudal falls into the category of companies on hold, as do Lorraine Bakery and wire-manufacturer Bekaert.
Finally, Ontex, which manufactures hygiene products and baby nappies, and Puratos, which produces bakery ingredients, remain active in Russia. The reason they give is that they supply essential products.
The dailies conclude that it is easier to say you are going to leave Russia than to do so.
Those who have clearly decided to stay justify their decision by the essential nature of their products and the well-being of a population that is, a priori, far removed from the Kremlin and Vladmir Putin's politics.
