Agriculture is based on small but highly productive family-owned farms.
The industrial sector, until recently dominated by steel, has become increasingly more diversified, particularly toward high-technology firms. During the past decade, growth in the financial sector has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Services, especially banking, account for a growing proportion of the economy. Luxembourg participates in an economic union with Belgium on trade and most financial matters, is also closely connected economically to the Netherlands, and as a member of the 12-member European Union enjoys the advantages of the open European market. University of Missouri-St.