According to customs statistics, in 2008, the total import and export values of China's medical device amounted to 16.28 billion U.S. dollars which increased by 28.21% comparing with same period of last year, in which export value rose by 31.46 % to 11.067 billion dollars; import value was 5.216 billion dollars, increased by 21.81% comparing with 2007. The foreign trades of medical device continued to maintain trade surplus and the surplus reached to 5.851 billion U.S. dollars which increased by 1.718 billion dollars comparing with that of same period of last year (table 1).

Table 1: the classification statistics of China's medical instrument import and export trade in 2008

In 2008, comparing with 2007, China's import and export of medical device increased by 7.88%, in which the export and import amounts increased by 8.99% and 5.48% respectively and a double growth appeared again.

A steady demand for China's Medical device products has been maintained in the international markets such as Europe, America and Japan

In 2008, although worldwide financial turmoil brought about by American subprime mortgage crisis has changed world economic pattern, however, in this financial crisis, china's medical devices export trade continued to maintain a high growth rate and 217 foreign countries and regions has imported medical devices from China, of which 5 top trading partners namely America, Japan, Germany, Hongkong and Britain accounted for 53.55% (see table 2) which reduced by 1.58% when it compared with that of 2007. Within this year, among the China's top 20 export trading partners, Brazil had the largest increase (reached to 77.24%) in the export value; moreover, in Belgium, which had the largest increase in export value in 2007, continued to maintain a growth rate of 44.96% in 2008.

Table 2: China's major export markets for medical devices in 2008

Medical device products such as equipments for medical diagnosis and treatment, Medical dressing and medical consumables continued to enjoy robust growth in the international markets

Medical device products applied in China' hospitals such as equipments for medical diagnosis and treatment, medical dressing and medical consumables have higher cost performance rate in the international markets; in 2008, the export value of equipments for medical diagnosis and treatment reached to 3,616 billion dollars which increased by 31.64% comparing to same period of last year; the total export value of medical dressing increased by 29.40% year-on-year to 3,113billion US dollars; the export value of medical consumables reached to 1,854 billion US dollars which was 30.08% higher than the same period. In addition, among 100 encoded medical device products, 26 categories of products had more than 100 million U.S. dollars of export value respectively (see table 3), 4 categories of products was added comparing to 2007; the export value of 36 products were more than 10 million dollars respectively, maintaining same level as that in 2007.

Table 3: Statistics of top key medical device exports in 2008

Among the equipments for medical diagnosis and treatment used in the hospitals in China, the exports with more than 100 million U.S. dollars of export value also included CT machine(228 million dollars, increased by 49.36% comparing with same period of last year), color ultrasound diagnostic apparatus(203 million dollars, increased by 51.51% comparing with same period of last year), magnetic resonance imaging device(158 million dollars, increased by 79.76% comparing with same period of last year), patient monitor (154 million dollars, increased by 26.39% comparing with same period of last year)and B-type ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (109 million dollars, increased by 5.88% comparing with same period of last year) etc.

In 2008, the proportion of export trade of China's medical device reduced by 2.29 % ( approached 40%); however, the export trade in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta continued to maintain a rapid growth and three countries namely U.S.A, Germany and Japan continued to act as China's major import countries; in addition, China has 10 import countries whose import value was more than 100 million U.S. dollars respectively, 2 countries (Ireland and Singapore ) were added comparing with 2007; moreover, China also has 21import countries or regions such as Italy, Israel and Sweden etc, the import value of which was more than 10 million dollars respectively, 2 countries were added comparing with 2007.

In 2008, among China's imports of medical device, the import value of 15 categories of products was more than 100 million U.S dollars respectively, 5 categories of products were added comparing with 2007; in addition, 41 categories of products whose import value was more than 10 million dollars, 3 categories of products were added comparing with 2007 (see table 4).

Table 4:Commodity statistics of top key medical device imports in 2008

In 2008, most China's imports of medical device were high-end equipments for medical diagnosis and treatment and laboratory equipments, which were mainly used to fill a gap in high-end medical equipment in China.

Opportunities outweigh challenges: export growth of China's medical devices will continue to maintain a high growth in 2009

Under the impact of the global economic crisis, in 2009, undoubtedly, the most important thing for many developed countries is that reducing their budget on public health and welfare and replacing expensive medical devices with more cost-effective products, which will provide growth opportunities for the export trade of China's medical device; it indicates that a steady and rapid growth in the export trade of China's medical devices will be maintained continuously in 2009.

Industry experts predicted that the consumption on the international medical device market will not be impacted greatly by the financial crisis in that it has stable consumer groups; the export trade of China's medical device will continue to maintain a relatively ideal growth in the case of extremely deteriorated global economic environment; moreover, as big country, China mainly produce and export middle and low-end medical products such as equipments for diagnosis and treatment, medical dressing and medical consumables with middle or low-value, so many products made by us have comparative advantages in the international market; some of them have occupied a certain market share and it will not be replaced by the products of other countries within a short period of time. On the contrary, in order to cope with financial crisis, mature markets in Europe, America and Japan certainly will choose more cost-effective products which accord with registered listing standards and higher security requirements, which provide opportunities for China's qualified medical device products and thus these developed or other developing countries may import homogeneous our products. At the same time, in this crisis, China intensified efforts to open up emerging markets in some emerging nations, which provided potential impetus to some extent for continuing to maintain a steady growth of medical device exports in 2009.

In addition, the psychological expectations of enterprises will be impacted by many factors such as uncertain changes in international currency exchange rate, increased market supervision and improved factors for environmental protection etc; together with continuously increased costs of raw materials, energy, and labor force, so the costs of key medical device products will be expected to mount up and the prices of them will increase finally. However, many price factors above belongs to rigidity factors, therefore, price pressure will be shared by enterprises and customers together. It is expected that the export of some products will reduce in 2009 and the export tax rebate rate of part products such as medical dressing and medical furniture etc still have space for adjusting, which will appropriately relieve the pressure brought about by rising cost; even so, in the case of great depression, the export value of China's medical device products will continue to maintain 18%~24% of growth in 2009.