EXPORT AND IMPORT OF ULTRASONIC SCANNERS IN CHINA, USA AND JAPAN IN 2012

— 8 июля 2013

1. CHINA

According to the data of the customs statistics, China exported more than 21 thousand color ultrasonic scanners under the code 90181291 to 153 countries in 2012 for the amount of US$392mln. The rating of the countries-importers of the Chinese ultrasonic scanners is the following:

  • USA - $90,5mln (3235 pcs.)
  • Hong Kong - $41,6mln (2723 pcs.)
  • Netherlands - $27,3mln (1707 pcs.)
  • Germany - $26,3mln (2788 pcs.)
  • Japan - $24,8mln (1786 pcs.)
  • Russia - $22,6mln (1211 pcs.)
  • India - $20,5mln (1534 pcs.)
  • Korea - $15,2mln (192 pcs.)
  • Venezuela - $13,9mln (437 pcs.)
  • Italy - $10,1mln (50 pcs.)

Comparing the value and quantitative export volume to different countries, we can note the significant difference in the average price of an ultrasonic scanner in different countries.

The high position of the first four countries in the rating stated above can be explained by the fact that to a large degree these countries play a role of the transit countries through which the Chinese ultrasonic scanners are supplied to the third countries. For example, according to the Russian customs statistics, China supplied the ultrasonic scanners to Russia for the amount of US$62mln. The stated figure was obtained by determining the volume of import by the country of origin of the goods and it for more than twice exceeds the volume of the Chinese export defined by the country of shipment of the goods. Consequently, almost two thirds of the Chinese scanners came to Russia via third countries, e.g. via Hong Kong, that is confirmed by the data of analysis of the Russian customs statistics.

The leaders in the export of ultrasonic scanners are as follows:

  • Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • GE Medical Systems (China) Co., Ltd..
  • Sonoscape Company Ltd.

The significant export volume of the Chinese ultrasonic scanners falls both on the joint ventures:

  • Philips and Neusoft Medical Systems Co., Ltd.
  • Esaote S.p.A.
  • Shanghai Aloka Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

and on the large number of the primordial Chinese companies, for example:

  • Shenzhen Well.D Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • Chison Medical Imaging Co., Ltd.
  • Edan Instruments, Inc.
  • Shantou Institute of Ultrasonic Instrument Co., Ltd.
  • Shenzhen Landwind Industry Co., Ltd.
  • Shenzhen Carewell Electronics Co., Ltd.

The following countries which have the quarter of the whole volume of the Chinese export are the main purchasers of the ultrasonic scanners of the firm Mindray: USA, Russia, Venezuela, Turkey and Italy. The ultrasonic scanners of GE were purchased mainly in Germany, USA, Austria, India and Singapore. Almost a third of ultrasonic scanners that are exported by the company Sonoscape are accounted to Russia. The USA ($2,8mln) occupies the second place in this rating of Sonoscape. Aloka exported all its scanners ($20mln) only to Japan and Hong Kong. We may suppose that Aloka ultrasonic scanners were supplied to the third countries in the most cases by transit via these countries.

It should be noted the significantly high uniformity of the volume of supplies during the year. For example, during the first three months of 2012 the value volumes of supplies were US$ 24,6mln, 24,3mln and 37,3mln, and during the last three months – US$ 33,0mln, 40,6mln and 47,1mln. The volume of the Russian import of ultrasonic scanners in the forth quarter of 2012 was almost half of the total volume of import for the whole 2012.

2. USA

In 2012, USA exported the ultrasonic scanners to 137 countries for the amount of US$1024mln. The following countries are the main importers of the ultrasonic scaneers from USA:
China - $300,3mln
Japan - $81,5mln
Canada - $54,2mln
FRG - $50,6mln
Australia - $45,3mln as well as France, Korea and Russia ($32,5).

As it follows from the stated customs statistics of USA, Russia imported the ultrasonic scanners from USA for the amount of US$32,5mln. From the other side, according to the Russian customs statistics, the import volume defined by the country of origin of the goods was above US$90mln. So, two thirds of the export of the USA ultrasonic scanners came to Russia via third countries.

In comparison with 2011, the growth of the volume of the Chinese export in the value terms was 6%. The graph given below shows the dynamics of the import of the ultrasonic scanners to USA during the period from 2007 up to 2012.

The given graph shows that in 2009 Korea was ahead of Japan by the volume of export of ultrasonic scanners to USA, and in 2012 also China was ahead of Japan. In 2012, more than half of imported ultrasonic scanners in USA falls on the given three Asian countries.

3. JAPAN

According to the data of the Ministry of Finance of Japan, in 2012 the Japanese export of ultrasonic scanners by the code 9018.12-000 amounted to US$545mln to 74 countries and the import – US$192 from 22 countries. The calculations were performed at the average exchange rate in 2012 JYen79,76 to US$1,00.

The rating of the countries-importers of ultrasonic scanners of Japanese production is given below:

  • USA - $120mln
  • China - $99,3mln
  • Netherlands - $73,8mln
  • Germany - $60,2mln
  • Korea - $26,6mln
  • Russia - $18,6mln ($95mln according to the Russian customs statistics in case of defining the importer’s country by the country of origin of the goods).

Thus, the large part of the Japanese export of ultrasonic scanners to Russia is done through the third countries. First of all the Netherlands and Germany can be referred to such countries which explains the high position of these countries in the rating stated above.

The rating of the countries-exporters of the ultrasonic scanners to Japan is given below.

  • China - $67,5mln
  • USA - $53,5mln
  • Korea - $30mln as well as Norway, Israel, France, Austria, India and other countries.

4. CONCLUSION

USA, China, Japan and Korea are the world leaders in the export and import of ultrasonic scanners.
Korea shows the most significant growth of the export volume of ultrasonic scanners.
Russia is one of the world leaders in the import of ultrasonic scanners.

The export and import of ultrasonic scanners through the third countries makes it difficult to understand of the real picture of supplies of ultrasonic scanners to the individual countries and also makes it difficult to assess the potential of the countries-importers.
The significant volume of ultrasonic scanners from the countries-manufacturers comes to the third countries by transit through Hong Kong, The Netherlands and Canada.