Anomalies of the Russian market of ultrasound scanners in 2015 (1-3)

— 21 июля 2015

1. Anomalies of the market

The sharp depreciation of the ruble and the Western sanctions against Russia, as it was expected, should have decreased the import volume of ultrasound scanners. Actually, the result was opposite: in the 1-st quarter of 2015, the Russian import of ultrasound scanners increased almost twice in comparison with the similar period of the previous year. In connection with this, two anomalies can be identified as follows:

  • No. 1 anomaly: the import volume of ultrasound scanners increased despite the significant depreciation of the ruble and the western sanctions;
  • No. 2 anomaly: the USA took the first place with the overwhelming majority in the rating of the countries exporters of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses (79% of the Russian market).

2. Statistics of the Russian import of ultrasound scanners

In the first quarter of 2015, Russia imported ultrasound scanners for the amount of $90 mln., which is more than twice in comparison with the 1-st quarter of 2014.
The rating of the countries exporters which are arranged in the decreasing order of the imports volume of ultrasound scanners in the value terms is as follows:

  1. USA ($71 mln., 79%)
  2. Korea ($8,2 mln., 9%)
  3. China ($3,9 mln., 4%)
  4. Japan ($2,9 mln., 3%)

As in the previous year, Korea took the second place, and the export volume from USA was nearly ten times more than from Korea. China got the third place. 80% of the Chinese export to Russia falls on the company Mindray (Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.). This parameter exceeds 50% according to the results of 2014. The total number of Mindray ultrasound scanners supplied to Russia in 2014 was 952 pcs., 643 of them are the color ultrasound apparatuses. It may be supposed that the firm Mindray took the first place in supplies of ultrasound scanners to Russia in 2014.

3. Manufacturers of ultrasound scanners from USA

The tendency of the stable increase of the Russian imports of ultrasound scanners from the USA is observed in recent years, and the relative decrease in imports from the other countries. The dynamics of this process is as follows:

  • 2012 - 3-rd place in the rating of the countries exporters, $91 mln. (19%)
  • 2013 – 2-nd place, $51 mln. (18%)
  • 2014 – 1-st place, $100 mln. (36%)
  • 1st quarter of 2015 - 1-st place, $71 mln. (79%).

Approximately the same tendency is occurring with regard to the total commodity turnover. So, in 2014 the volume of trade between Russia and the United States increased by 6% compared to 2013, while the volume of trade with the European countries dropped significantly: with Great Britain (-20%), with France (-17%), with Poland (-17%), etc.
The ultrasound scanners are supplied from USA to Russian by the following manufacturers:

  • Philips Ultrasiund Inc. supplies to Russian the models: EPIQ 5, EPIQ 7, IU22, IE33, HD11, HD15, HD11 XE, СХ-50, ClearVue 350, ClearVue 550 and ClearVue 650;
  • GE Medical Systems LLC., - the model Logiq E9;
  • Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. – models ACUSON S2000, ACUSON S1000, ACUSON ANTARES;
  • Fujifilm Sonosite, Inc. – models EDGE and NanoMaxx;
  • Zonare Medical Systems, Inc. – model Z ONE ULTRA;
  • Terason Echo Ultrasound System – model Terason Echo, and some other small manufacturers from USA.

As seen from the above data, the largest number of models from USA to Russia is supplied by Philips. Despite the fact that Philips is considered to be a Dutch company the main facilities for production of ultrasound apparatuses are concentrated in USA.

The middle class models ClearVue 350, ClearVue 550 and ClearVue 650 are also produced in China at the plant of the firm Philips Healthcare (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. The creation of such production may be considered as Philips’ reply to the expansion of the Chinese manufacturers on such markets as the Russian market.
Besides, the portable ultrasound apparatuses CX-30 and CX-50 are also produced in Singapore – Sanmina-SCI Systems Singapore PTE. Ltd., and the model HD-15 is produced also in China at the plant of the firm Philips and Neusoft Medical Systems Co., Ltd.

The popular and rather expensive expert class models IU22 and IE33 will be replaced in 2015 by the models of the new formation which have already been registered in Russia.

GE, the leader in supplies of the ultrasound diagnostic scanners to the Russian market, provides quite a lot of the premium class apparatuses Logiq E9 produced in USA.

4. Conclusions

  1. The volume of the Russian import of ultrasound scanners increased on the background of the devaluation of the ruble and the Western sanctions due to the anomaly large volume of supplies from USA.
  2. Philips is the leader by the number of models supplied to Russia from USA.