An Analysis of Foreign Trade of Medical Devices in China in 2017

Medical Network News March 15

Table 1 Statistics on Foreign Trade Structure of Medical Devices in China in 2017

Table 2 Top Ten Statistics of Medical Device Exports in 2017

Table 3 Statistics of Major Product Exports of Medical Devices in China in 2017

Figure 1 Trends in average price of medical device exports from 2013 to 2017

In 2017, China’s foreign trade in medical devices grew at a faster rate than in 2016, and imports and exports of all major categories of products increased. According to statistics from China Customs, the total value of medical device imports and exports in China was US$42.06 billion in 2017, an increase of 8.09% year-on-year, exceeding 400. Billion dollar mark (see Table 1).

According to statistics from China Customs, China’s medical device exports fell by 3.14% in the previous year in 2016. In 2017, export of equipment reversed the trend of the previous year's decline, showing a mild upward trend—an increase of 5.84% year-on-year and a total export value of 21.703 billion US dollars. , A record high.

In the top 10 global markets for exports (see Table 2), except for the third Hong Kong, China, which fell by 3.88%, the export volume of the other nine major markets showed varying degrees of growth. Among them, the United States and Japan Exports amounted to 5.838 billion U.S. dollars and 1.78 billion U.S. dollars, ranking first and second respectively. The growth rate of the two countries was 5.08% and 4.61% year-on-year, respectively; the biggest increase was South Korea, with an increase of 19.04%, and the export value was 658 million U.S. dollars. Ranked sixth.

In addition, China’s exports of medical devices along the “Belt and Road” countries account for about 20% of total exports. Among them, exports to India, Russia, Malaysia, and Vietnam have increased to varying degrees, at 7.51% and 5.05 respectively. %, 1.52%, 3.86%. Russia used to be a fast growing market for exports of medical device products in China, but due to its economic slowdown in recent years, exports have suffered serious setbacks. In 2017, with the recovery of the Russian economy, our country Its medical device exports increased by 5.05% year-on-year, gradually escaping the low point.

In 2017, except India and Russia, the export of medical devices from other BRIC countries also showed a good situation. Among them, the increase in exports to Brazil was as high as 32.72% and the export value was 394 million US dollars. The country's market demand, with high cost performance and competitive advantage, has potential for growth.

From the point of view of China's medical device exporting provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), it is mainly concentrated in China's Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces account for 60% of China’s total exports. In addition, the top ten exports In addition to Shanghai, Liaoning and other provinces, the province's exports have increased significantly. Exports in Hubei, Shandong, and Anhui provinces have increased by more than 10%.

Although the export volume has increased, at present, China's exports of medical device products still use low-value consumables, low-end and mid-range products, and the industry relies heavily on low-cost elements such as raw materials and labor. Massage and health care equipment and medical consumables are used as dressing materials. The top ten export products of the Lord accounted for 44.5% of the total exports of medical equipment. Among them, the export of massage equipment increased by 9.58% year-on-year, and the export value reached 2.292 billion US dollars (see Table 3).

In recent years, China’s high-end medical device industry has supported and enterprise Efforts have been made to achieve rapid development. In particular, imaging diagnostic equipment has gradually achieved import substitution. Individual products, such as ultrasound, monitoring, etc., have also become increasingly effective in the international market. However, in the field of large-scale equipment such as CT and NMR, etc. Because the global market has been monopolized by multinational corporations for a long time, the technical level and comprehensive performance of China's high-end products are still far behind that of developed countries. The clinical use time is relatively short and the international market recognition is low. External exports are still at a disadvantage. International The road to development is long way to go.

At the same time, the competition among medical device companies in China has become increasingly fierce. Especially in the export sector, the problem of low-price competition has become increasingly serious, and the trend of increasing exports by relying on price reductions has become evident. From 2013 to 2017, the average price of medical device exports in China dropped significantly. (see picture 1) .

According to national food drug According to the data from the General Administration of Supervision, China’s medical device market continued its high growth trend in recent years in 2017. Imaging equipment, in vitro diagnostics and high-value consumables accounted for the first three parts of the medical device market, accounting for 19% of the total market size, respectively. , 16% and 13%. Policy, market and new technology are still the three major factors affecting the development of China's medical device industry. The full implementation of grading diagnosis and treatment will bring more opportunities for domestic medical equipment; the implementation of the 'two-vote system' will be further implemented. Promote the transformation of mergers and acquisitions within the industry, the upgrading of industrial structure, the development of medical device products to the direction of customization and high added value; the development of new technologies such as early screening technology, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and medical robots, will bring about a subversive revolution in the medical market. .

According to China medicine Health Products Import & Export Chamber of Commerce predicts China in 2018 medical instruments The pace of growth in foreign trade has slowed down, and medical equipment has emerged as the main force in the foreign trade of medical products in China. Challenges and opportunities coexist. While maintaining the healthy development of foreign trade, further deepening of international cooperation will continue to be an overall trend.