In the first half of 2011, China’s medical device exports surged by 57% year-on-year

Business Club August 10th

Medical device export has become the main driving force for the development of China's medical device industry. From January to June 2011, China's total import and export of medical devices reached US$12.051 billion, an increase of 58.15% year-on-year. Among them, the value of exports was 7.134 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 57.34% year-on-year; the average monthly export volume was 1.189 billion U.S. dollars, and the highest monthly value of exports reached 1.351 billion U.S. dollars in June, an increase of 4.41% over the previous month.

Main market: Asia, Europe and North America

According to the latest statistics from the China Medical Insurance Association, in the first half of 2011, Asia, Europe, and North America are still the major export markets for medical devices in China. The corresponding export value is US$2.292 billion, US$1.996 billion, and US$1.929 billion, respectively. In the same period, the proportion of China's medical equipment exports accounted for a total of 87.14%. Among them, China’s exports of medical devices to the Asian market increased by 55.09% year-on-year, especially affected by the “zero tariff” in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, and the export volume of medical devices to ASEAN increased by 73.03% year-on-year; the European and North American markets The export volume of medical devices increased by 56.77% and 55.57% respectively year-on-year; the development of the African market achieved good results with related export value of US$308 million, an increase of 64.31% over the same period of last year. The United States, Japan, and Germany are still the traditional top three markets for medical device exports in China, and the total amount of related exports accounts for 42.27%.

Main enterprises: foreign investment and joint ventures

China's medical device products are exported to 206 countries and regions. A total of 15,900 enterprises in the country engaged in medical device export business, an increase of 66.02% year-on-year. Among them, the top 200 enterprises with export value accounted for 49.12% of the total export value, and the degree of concentration increased by 4.43 percentage points compared with the same period in 2010. Although the medical device export market continues to expand, domestic medical devices generally have low technical content and their competitiveness is worrying. Among the top 10 companies in terms of export volume, there are seven foreign companies and joint ventures.

Main varieties: obvious increase in five types of products

Cotton wool, gauze, and bandages: The export volume was 413 million U.S. dollars, an increase of 37.09% year-on-year; the average export unit price was 7.31 U.S. dollars per kilogram, a year-on-year increase of 35.84%; the products were exported to 180 countries and regions, and the main export markets were the United States and the same period in China. The five major markets of pharmaceutical cotton, gauze, and bandage products in Japan, Germany, Belgium, and Italy accounted for 52.78% of the total export market for similar products in China, and their export growth rates remained at more than 20%.

Disposable syringes: exports amounted to US$187 million, a year-on-year increase of 23.42%; average export unit price was US$0.04/support, an increase of 9.01% over the previous year; products were exported to 160 countries and regions, and the main export markets were the United States, Germany, Pakistan, In Brazil and Russia, the five largest markets together accounted for 38.73% of China's export market for similar products. The US market accounted for only 19.85%. Excluding the decline in the German market, exports to the other four markets showed growth at different rates.

Color Ultrasonic Diagnostic Instrument: Export volume was US$162 million, an increase of 28.03% year-on-year; the average export unit price was US$17,000 per unit, an increase of 4.01% over the same period of last year; the products were exported to 127 countries and regions, and the major export markets were the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany. The five major markets accounted for 55.14% of the export market for similar products in China, India, and Japan. Excluding the decline in exports to the Dutch market, the growth rate of exports to the other four markets remained above 40%.

X-ray tomograph: exports amounted to US$158 million, a year-on-year increase of 23.24%; average export unit price was US$161,900 per unit, a year-on-year decrease of 2.24%; products were exported to 66 countries and regions, and the major export markets were the United States and Japan. In the Netherlands, France, and Brazil, the five largest markets together accounted for 61.18% of the total; in addition to the decline in the Japanese market, exports to the remaining four markets maintained growth at different rates.

Patient Monitor: The export volume was US$134 million, an increase of 17.62% year-on-year; the average export unit price was US$1,898 per unit, an increase of 12.81% year-on-year; the products were exported to 149 countries and regions, and the main export markets were the United States, India, Hong Kong, China, In Germany and the Netherlands, the five major markets accounted for 58.15% of the total; except for the decline in the German market, the exports to the other four markets showed growth at different rates.