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Montea has signed a long-term lease with JD.com, China's largest retailer by revenue, for approximately 50,000 m² at Park De Hulst in Willebroek, Belgium.
The warehouse, previously occupied by Decathlon, becomes JD.com's new Belgian logistics hub and marks the group's first direct, large-scale presence in the country.
The deal involves Montea's largest single warehouse, ranking among the ten biggest assets in its entire portfolio.
Why the Location Works
Park De Hulst sits between the A12 and E19 motorways, close to both the Brussels-Scheldt waterway and the Willebroek container terminal.
That combination places it squarely between Antwerp and Brussels, two of Europe's most important logistics nodes, while also providing access to both road and inland waterway networks.
Belgium's logistics vacancy rate is already among the tightest in Europe, making a 50,000 m² letting of this quality rare.
- Warehouse GLA: 47,600 m², developed in 2017
- Location: between A12 and E19 motorways, Willebroek
- Access: Brussels-Scheldt waterway and Willebroek container terminal
- JD.com's European footprint: UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg
Also Read: 7R Launches Szczecin South Park With 23,000 sqm Pre-Lease
Automation at the Core of JD Logistics' Plans
Through JD Logistics, its logistics arm, JD.com intends to fit the Willebroek warehouse with a high degree of automation tailored to fast storage, processing and distribution of online orders.
The facility will support e-commerce expansion across Belgium and Luxembourg.
Xavier Van Reeth, Country Director Belgium at Montea, said the agreement confirms that scarce, high-quality locations continue to attract strong demand, describing the Willebroek site as particularly well suited for e-commerce and fulfilment due to its combination of a sustainably equipped warehouse and exceptional connectivity.
EU Customs Reform Is Reshaping Where Stock Lives
The timing of JD.com's commitment is not coincidental. Since 1 July 2026, the EU has scrapped its long-standing duty-free threshold for parcels under €150, replacing it with a flat customs charge per item.
The change makes shipping directly from China to individual European consumers considerably more expensive.
Chinese platforms most exposed to the new rules have responded by racing to build local EU warehousing, allowing stock to clear customs once in bulk rather than duty by duty at the consumer's door.
JD.com's direct, large-scale commitment in Willebroek fits squarely within that shift, from cross-border shipping to EU-based fulfilment.
It is one of the more significant structural demand drivers now running through Europe's tightest logistics markets, and Belgium, with its central location and scarce premium stock, sits at the intersection of that trend.
Montea's Portfolio Context
Montea NV is a listed Belgian real estate company specialising in logistics property across Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany.
As at 31 March 2026, its portfolio comprised a total lettable area of 2,375,726 m² across 124 locations. The company is listed on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Paris.
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